To turn the world into a “vessel” receptive of God

Shavuot by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim

At the end of the first weekly Shabbat of the seven weekly Shabbats, in between firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks the close friends of rabbi Jeshua had the shock of their life, having come to hear that their beloved master who was killed at the stake, now had disappeared from the grave. From the heavenly malach they heard that יהושע {Jeshua} was risen form the dead. Later they also had come to see him again, him also showing his wounds to proof to them he was not a ghost or spirit. Them knowing that God is a Spirit, came to hear from their beloved master teacher that he (Jeshua) was going back to Him and they saw him lifted in the air. When the moed of Shavuot was fully counted by the omer, they were all with one accord in one place. The talmidim knew they had to continue to study Torah and remember those Fifty days after Pesach and remembering how the Most High had revealed Himself and given the mitzvot to Moshe so that he could deliver them to the People of God.

For the talmidim and us it might be not a negligible fact that on the day of the revelation at Sinai they also remembered the death of of King David and the death of the successor of King David, the risen King of kings, from King David’s Tribe, the son of man and son of God, יהושע {Jeshua} (Jesus Christ). Their master had revealed the Words of God and made the mitzvot clear, so that they too could go into the world and explain them.

Today we remember that the entire people of Israel (600,000 heads of households and their families), as well as the souls of all future generations of Jews, heard God declare the first two of the Ten Commandments and witnessed God’s communication of the other eight through Moses. Following the revelation, Moses ascended the mountain for 40 days, to receive the remainder of the Torah from God.

At Sinai, the Elohim  rescinded the “decree” and “divide” (gezeirah) that had been in force since the 2nd day of creation separating the spiritual and the physical into two hermetic worlds; from this point on,

“the higher realms could descend into the lower realms, and the lower could ascend to the higher.”

Thus was born the “mitzvah” — a physical deed that, by virtue of the fact that it is commanded by God, brings Godliness into the physical world.

The deaths of two of the greatest figures in history serves as a reminder to us that revelation was not just a moment but a continuing process; that new faces of the infinitely meaningful Torah have always been revealed at the critical moments of our religious development; and that Sinai posed an immense challenge to the Jewish people to which we continue to try to rise.

English: King David, second king of Israel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

David, a descendent of Judah the son of Jacob as well as of Ruth, a Moabite convert to Judaism, was anointed King of Israel by Samuel in 878 BCE. All future legitimate kings of Israel were David’s descendants. Mankind was told it would be from him that the Moshiach or the messiah, would come, who will “restore the kingdom of David to its glory of old.”

These two figures stand at key points in the development of this response, and thus have a special relationship to Shavuot.

“lower (worlds) shall ascend to the higher, and the higher descend to the low.”

It is significant that though the Midrash quotes God as saying

“I shall take the initiative,”

and though the descent of God in fact preceded Moses’ going up, it still mentions the ascent of the lower worlds before the descent of the higher. This is because the ascent of the low was the ultimate purpose of the giving of the Torah, and the ultimate purpose is the last tobe realized. Though Moses’ ascent came after God’s descent, it was nonetheless of great importance. God’s initiating step was needed beforehand, before man could rise to meet Him.

Only by the liberation of the people from slavery man could become a free person able to aim for the promised Land and preparing themselves for entering the Kingdom of God. That entrance also made possible for the goy, they now also liberated from the curse of death like all people became liberated from death by the death of the descendant of King David, the long awaited Messiah, Jeshua who by the allowance of the Most High God, may now be seated next to God to be a mediator between God and man.

The Elohim had come down to the world to give His Word, in two senses, the stone tablet and the fulfilment of His promise in the Gan Eden, when man had rebelled against God. That Word spoken in that Royal Garden had become in the flesh and the talmidin had been close to it, feeling how it brought in them the Word also to live.

Like in the time of Moshe the effect of the giving of the Word was felt within the world, now that Word given also would have its effect unto many generations still coming after the talmidin.

The Midrash may say

“No bird called, no bird flew” and “the voice which came from G-d had no echo”

because it was absorbed into the very texture of the world. But from the Shavuot 30 CE change came over the world, several disciples of rabbi Jeshua having shaken by the sound from the shamayim as of a groaning Ruach, which  filled all the Bayit where those scaredy-cats had taken their refuge.

For those talmidin it was now clear that the Torah was no longer “in heaven,” but that the Word of God had descended to earth. For that reason, grasping that the world could face a new world, the beloved disciple of Jeshua, the apostle Jochanan (John)wrote about the word having come in the flesh.

John 1:1-5 OJB
Besuras Hageulah According to Yochanan

Bereshis (in the Beginning) was the Dvar Hashem [Yeshayah 55:11; Bereshis 1:1], and the Dvar Hashem was agav (along with) Hashem [Mishle 8:30; 30:4], and the Dvar Hashem was nothing less, by nature, than Elohim! [Psa 56:11(10); Yn 17:5; Rev. 19:13]  (2)  Bereshis (in the Beginning) this Dvar Hashem was with Hashem [Prov 8:30].  (3)  All things through him came to be, and without him came to be not one thing which came into being. [Ps 33:6,9; Prov 30:4]  (4)  In him was Chayyim (Life) and the Chayyim (Life) was the Ohr (Light) of Bnei Adam. [Tehillim 36:10 (9)]  (5)  And the Ohr shines in the choshech [Tehillim 18:28], and the choshech did not grasp it. [Yeshayah 9:1]

There had been man like the baptiser John who tried to shed light, but the true light that could enlighten everyone was his cousin who came into the world by the Ruach of the Most High, but the talmidin could be witnesses that the world did not recognize him who was sent by God.

Moshe had received the stone tablets and given them to the people, who took a very long time to come to make out why they had to follow those mitzvot and how they had to follow them.

Only afterwards did the work begin of refining, sanctifying and raising the world in spiritual ascent. This was the worship of the Jewish people, to turn the world into a “vessel” receptive of God. The possibility of this achievement was created at Sinai; the actuality began later.

Just as the descent of God to the world began with Abraham and culminated in Moses, so the ascent of the world to God began after the giving of the Torah and reached its climax in the wise kings David and Shlomo (Solomon), his son, who in building the Temple took the Jewish people to a new apex in their upward climb to God. In line with the great kings the world received a high-priest who would not only be king of the United Monarchy, with the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah, but of the whole world with its seven continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Oceania).

With the advent of David came two new developments. Firstly, he was the first king to rule over the whole of Israel (unlike Saul, who according to the Midrash {Bamidbar Rabbah, ch. 4.} did not rule over the tribe of Judah), and the dynasty was entrusted to him in perpetuity:

“The kingship shall never be removed from the seed of David.’ {1 Chronicles 29:2 ff.)

Jeshua being that seed has now taken over the dominion. the apostle John and his comrades could see that now the time for a special kind of monarchy had entered this system of things. Through the intermediary of kingship, Israel has an obedience to God which is both total and extending to every aspect of their being. Now the Kingdom of Israel shall have to come to witness their new king for ever. Though the world shall not want to recognise this sent one from God, many objecting such a position to a person who was once a man of flesh and blood. (Lots of Christians still take him as being their god and want to believe Jesus is God.) They all shall have to come to accept Jesus to be the mediator between God and man and the High Priest in the order of Melchisedec.

Thus we can see the difference between the acceptance of the Torah at Sinai and the obedience to God involved in the idea of Kingship, which David initiated and with the kingship of this King of kings, the sent one from God. The revelation at Sinai was an act of God:

“I shall take the initiative.”

It did not come from within the hearts of the people. And so it did not affect their whole being absolutely. But kingship does come from the people — their obedience is the source of the king’s authority. David’s reign signifies a new phenomenon: The voluntary, inward acceptance by the people of an absolute authority over them.

Ever since the Torah was given, the world was given a possibility to come into unity with God. Jeshua being revealed from above should be the eye opener for the world, him being the way to God, and the one who explained how we have to interpret the Law of God.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe urged that all children — including infants — should be brought to the synagogue on the 1st day of Shavuot to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments in re-enactment of the Giving of the Torah at Sinai. Our sages relate that when God came to give the Torah to the people of Israel, He asked for a guarantee that that they will not forsake it.

“The heaven and the earth shall be our guarantors,”

said the Jews, but God replied that

“they will not last forever.”

To this the people replied

“Our fathers will guarantee it,”

But the Elohim said that

“they are busy.”

It was only when we promised that

“our children will guarantee it”

that God agreed,

“These are excellent guarantors.”

therefore we should make sure that our children do come to hear the mitzvot and shall have the Word of God imprinted in their hearts.

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Preceding articles

Looking at the time when the Torah was given

Elul Observances

9 Adar and bickering or loving followers of the Torah preparing for Pesach

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Additional reading

1. Matthew 1:1-17 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
2. Jesus is risen
3. Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition Matthew Chapter 28
4. The Acts Of The Sent Ones Chapter 2
5. Nazarene Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2 v1-13 Working Spirit
6. Hebraic Roots Bible Book of The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2
7. For those who believe Jesus is God
8. God’s salvation
9. Jesus Messiah

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Further reading

Text of Book of Ruth and its connection to Shavuot

Related articles

• Know Your Doctrine
• The Only Requirement…

To believe in the liberation of slavery and to repent

Having these special days we think about whom God wanted to save and whom He is willing to come to His Holy Land and His Holy Kingdom.

It are days that we wonder what sort of person is the Most High Divine Creator looking for and Who is He willing to call?

In the Christadelphian Bible readings for April the 26th we look what happened after the gathering at the upper room and the killing of rabbi Jeshua, when his disciples were so much afraid that they hid in a house and did not dare to show themselves outside in town.

Shavuot by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim

Today we encounter also many who say they believe in Christ but do not dare to tell about him. Perhaps they also better remind what happened to the apostles. When the Day of the Festival of Shaḇu‛ota had come, they were all with one mind in one place.  About three years they had followed their master, listened intensively to his marvellous preaching about the Most High God and explaining the Torah. That master was never afraid to speak or to show others what he believed. But they were so afraid. Sitting in their hiding place suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them tongues like flames, as of fire that separated and each flame came to  rest on each of them.  First full of awe they found themselves now filled with something special, an inner fire which seemed to fill themselves with energy. They heard the Holy Spirit and they themselves were surprised to hear themselves being able to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

Acts 2:1-4 (TS98)

Acts 2
1 And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks had come, they were all with one mind in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.

Can you imagine how a remarkable speech was presented in that town where the people were together having had celebrated the most important event of the year. At such occasions the town was filled with several nationalities, all people speaking different tongues. And now those Galileans could  intrigue this great crowd speaking in their own languages.

Of course we only have the essential kernel of his speech, as the record says how the onlookers came to understand those people speaking in tongues were not drunk, as you suppose, since it was only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel that in the last days it shall be that the Elohim Jehovah God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and that there would be sons and daughters prophesying.

Today when we can see more of those signs as prophesies foretold, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke, we can see that many loose hope and see their sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

Acts 2:20 (TS98)
20 ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of יהוה.

We are told of the importance of calling upon the name of the Host of host יהוה to be saved. Like the people in the time of Moses had to believe him, now the coming generations shall have to hear these words that Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to the world by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in the midst of the Israelites, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God was raised up by his heavenly Father, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Acts 2:24 (TS98)
24 “Him Elohim raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was impossible that He could be held in its grip.

In Moses his time god’s people could see how the angel of death passed their doors. Many after that liberation from slavery and the Egyptians put their hope in the One God Who they placed before themselves like David always saw God before him.

Jeshua had asked God why He had abandoned him; but God was always by him and did also not abandon his soul to Hades, when Jesus was three days in hell (sheol/hades).  Patriarch David both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

The apostles were witnesses that this master teacher, they had followed for such a short period, was raised up from the dead. They also were convinced that this man of flesh and blood was exalted at the right hand of God, not sitting on god’s throne or not taking in the place of God, like so many Christians want others to believe today. No, real Christians believe in this sent one from God to be like Moses, a leader who can bring us unto liberation, getting us free from those chains of the curse of death.

All who die shall stay in the graves and shall like David who also did not ascend into the heavens, have to look at the blessings God provided.

Acts 2:29-36 (TS98)
29 “Men and brothers, let me speak boldly to you of the ancestor Dawiḏ, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 “Being a prophet, then, and knowing that Elohim had sworn with an oath to him: of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, to raise up the Messiah to sit on his throne, 31 foreseeing this he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah, that His being was neither left in the grave, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 “Elohim has raised up this יהושע, of which we are all witnesses. 33 “Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Set-apart Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 “For Dawiḏ did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself said, ‘יהוה said to my Master, “Sit at My right hand, 35 until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Yisra’ĕl know for certain that Elohim has made this יהושע, whom you impaled, both Master and Messiah.”

It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb, Jesus giving his body as a ransom for all man, is been ridiculed by telling that he should be God because no man can be without sin and fulfil God’s Wishes. It also makes a cruel God of the Creator because then they insinuate that God, at the beginning of man, gave such commandments to man He knew they would never be able to follow.

We should see  and understand that this man who sat a the table when he had given thanks, broke the bread, and said,

“This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me.”

and afterwards in the same way took the cup, after supper, saying,

“This cup is the New Covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”

also asked us to remember this act

1 Corinthians 11:26  (TS98)
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes.

The liberation from slavery of death is what Christ Jesus has brought to mankind. And we should not forget that love of this Nazarene man. With an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God, we should not forget that gracious Saviour and look forward to the same hope god’s chosen People was given, the Holy Land and a precious Kingdom of God.

So many, today, have forgotten him who never forgot God nor us! The majority has forgotten him who poured his blood forth for our sins! He whom we should make the abiding tenant of our memories is but a visitor therein. The stake where one would think that memory would linger, and unmindfulness would be an unknown intruder, is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness and by those who do not want to believe that Jesus was a real man of flesh, blood and bones who managed to do the Will of God instead of doing his own will. In case he is God he naturally always would have done his own will.

Does not your conscience say that this is true? Do you not find yourselves forgetful of Jesus? Can it not be that some creatures steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of him upon whom your affection ought to be set, because you prefer to keep to human doctrines and to human traditions? Is it not that some earthly business engrosses your attention when you should fix your eye steadily upon the stake which brought Jesus to the end of his life?

Real Christians should not only let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Jeshua both Lord and Christ and that this Jesus whom was put on the stake with the inscription that he is the “King of the Jews”, but should tell the whole world about him and his God.

St. Peter Preaching at Pentecost by Benjamin West (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Peter asked the people around them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins so that they too could receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38  (TS98)
And Kĕpha said to them, “Repent, and let each one of you be immersed in the Name of יהושע Messiah for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit.

At Pesach we can think of those who died and those who were able to escape death. Around the holiday period those apostles were filled with so much fear they could say

“We die daily.”

This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands.
We are not in this day called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test; but the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are yet more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age.

We have to bear the sneer of the world-that is little; its blandishments, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy, are far worse. Our danger is lest we grow rich and become proud, lest we give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world, and lose our faith. Or if wealth be not the trial, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, if we may be hugged to death by the bear, the devil little cares which it is, so long as he destroys our love to Christ, and our confidence in him. {Spurgeon}

Spurgeon had good reason to fear that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than in those rougher times.

We must be awake now, for we traverse the enchanted ground, and are most likely to fall asleep to our own undoing, unless our faith in Jesus be a reality, and our love to Jesus a vehement flame. Many in these days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God. Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardour; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display his omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well as in the rougher,

“We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” {Spurgeon}

The promise was for the Jews but now it has come to be also for the Gentiles and for their children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Almighty God of gods calls to Himself.

Acts 2:39-40 (TS98)
39 “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as יהוה our Elohim shall call.” 40 And with many other words he earnestly witnessed and urged them, saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation.”

The Jews were saved from the Egyptians and from the pressure which was on them by their slavery. Today many are slave of this crooked generation, though many want to stay chained to this crooked world with its heathen rituals and pagan festivals.

All generations are ‘crooked’ to differing degrees but today we live in one that is extremely so! Peter had quoted king David his Psalm (verse 28)

“You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence”.

Icon of the Pentecost (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At the time of the apostles the people around them did not hesitate to be baptised. All those who received the words spoken by the apostles who suddenly dared to come out of the house and speak in tongues, were baptised.

Around Pesach much time is taken to hear to the Words of God. Like at other times it is very important to hear (or read) to receive into the heart the Infallible Word of God. Today it is even to hear at more places than in the time of the apostles. A pity is to notice that it not necessarily means that people come to realise what it has to mean for them personally. Not enough people are willing to put away their fear for the world. Lots of people are more afraid of not taking part of such pagan feasts as Christmas, Easter, Halloween or others instead holding to those festivals God has given.

Today we are also reading in Deuteronomy (chapter 12) of those who heard Moses final stirring messages before he died – they received his words and so entered the promised land and were faithful in their lives.

The initial effect on those who received Peter’s words and were baptised was that they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers” (verse 42). This is the result when God calls men and women to himself.

Our thoughts then went to those most moving words in Hebrews,

Hebrews 10:22-25 (TS98)
22 let us draw near with a true heart in completeness of belief, having our hearts sprinkled from a wicked conscience and our bodies washed with clean water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our expectation without yielding, for He who promised is trustworthy. 24 And let us be concerned for one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as you see the Day coming near.

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering … all the more as we see the day approaching.

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Preceding articles:

The Best Bedtime Stories

Days of Nisan, Pesach, Pasach, Pascha and Easter

Responsibilities of Parenthood for sharing the Word of God

Counting Each Day – and Making them Count

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Additional reading:

1. Jesus three days in hell
2. The day of the festival of Pentecost
3. Nazarene Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2 v1-13 Working Spirit
4. The Acts Of The Sent Ones Chapter 2
5. Hebraic Roots Bible Book of The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2
6. Speaking in tongues (article on Bible Students)
7. Speaking in tongues (article on Christadelphian World)
8. Tongues a sign of authenticity or divine backing
9. Meaning of “speaking in tongues”
10. Authority given to him To give eternal life
11. He has given us the Pneuma, the force, from Him
12. The Spirit of God imparts love,inspires hope, and gives liberty
13. Not enlightened by God’s Spirit
14. Know Who goes with us and don’t try to control life
15. We may not be ignorant to get wisdom

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Related articles

• Putting a Boom Shakalaka in Acts 2!
• Why Christians Must Reconsider Baptism and the Holy Spirit
• Preaching as an Act of Listening
• Miracles and spiritual gifts amongst Messianic Jews today
• Easter
• Your Word for This Day: “Spiritually Fit”
• Risen (thurs, Fri, Sat ) ( Mar 24,25,26)
• Did Jesus Go To Hell?
• How God Overcomes Fear with Faith (Exodus 3-4; 14)
• You Are Not A Victim

Responsibilities of Parenthood for sharing the Word of God

When the people of Israel got liberated from slavery in Egypt the parents took their saved children with them. God had asked them by way of Moses giving to them the Words of God, to lay up these Words of the Most High in their heart and in their soul.

18  “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-19 KJ21)

 

Sunday school class, Manzanar Relocation Center, California People in church service, standing, holding hymnals. MEDIUM: 1 negative : safety film. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Parents are given the task to have that what they placed in their hearts, to share it with their children. It not only has to sit deep inside them, it also has to come out of them. It should be so strongly connected to their mind that it is as if their brains are tied with that knowledge of the Word of God. They should not only keep it as a reminder but also should teach them to their children. This is something what is often forgotten today.

Ideal moments to start picking up the thread again are such high holidays like the ones we had this weekend. The free days are ideal to take time to speak about what happened in the past to God’s people and how we should also be part of God’s people. All that we ourselves got to hear about the Most High divine Creator we should love to share with others and especially with our own children.

That what we got to hear from God we should share with the loved ones. At home but also outside of the house we should talk about those Words God has given us. Wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night.

Today we may find that not many parents are having time or wanting to spend time to educate their children concerning ethics, morals and faith matters. Today we have much more facilities than in the days of Moses where they could not take a bible or the scrolls at hand. In those times most of the upbringing and/or teaching was a personal responsibility. Centuries later the parents took time each day to read from Scriptures and to talk about the commandments of God. Many generations also got to Sunday School to have a religious formation. Today in not many countries are there still Sunday Schools or bible Schools for the religious people.

Today lots of people are avoiding that responsibility to teach the Word of God. Even speaking about good and bad is put aside in many cases. Today lots of children are also allowed to watch certain pictures on television which are not for their eyes at all. Many cruel or ugly words are allowed to enter the living room, via that screen what has become bigger and bigger.

Moses told the people that in case they diligently would keep all this commandment that Jehovah God commanded them to obey, sticking close to Him God on His part will drive out all these nations that stand in their way. so they should then not be afraid of those nations which are much bigger and stronger than them.

“22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you to do them—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him— 23 then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.” (Deuteronomy 11:22-23 KJ21)

Nothing has changed. Also for us today if we will be careful to do all this commandment that God commands us to do, loving the Most High divine Creator Jehovah as your God, walking in all His ways, and holding fast to him, then He will bless you so you inherit the promised land. We, ourselves must first teach ourselves from God’s words, messages such as this one – for ‘the promised land’ – the kingdom of God – is surely just over the horizon. Having taught ourselves we must teach any children we have – and others we can influence. The saying is that ‘actions speak louder than words’ – but words and actions together speak louder still. “A blessing” or “a curse” lie before us! Which have you chosen – or are on the point of choosing? There is no middle way.

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Preceding: Responsibilities of Parenthood fully discharged

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Related articles

• Always Near
• Forgetting God
• In An Atmosphere Of Rebellion We Are Called To Obey
• April 7, 2016 – Weekly Update
• Sermon of April 3, 2016 – “The Most Unlikely of Heroines”
• The Purpose of God’s Wrath
• Dear Youth Pastor, Guard Your Day Off!
• Relevance of Observing Pesach Today
• April 10, 2016 Sermon – “Overhearing the Name of God”

On the Edge of Believing

14 Nisan coming closer we look at the people liberated from enslavement by the ancient Egyptians but also for the liberation of Jews and goims or gentiles.

Crossing of the red sea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The people of God got freedom after they had witnesses several plagues coming over Egypt. The land was on the verge of going in a disastrous killing situation.  You would think after having seen all the remarkable plagues, the wonder of crossing the Red Sea, they would fully trust the Most High Elohim  יהוה  {Jehovah}. they were guided and could find themselves camping beside Mount Sinai witnessing the earth quaking, the clouds, the fire and the voice from the mountain! After that, the miraculous provision of manna, quails, and water from the rock could still not bring many to go for the worshipping of the Only One True God and letting them still having doubts about so many matters. It fortuned, the first day of the eleventh month in the fortieth year, that Moses spoke unto the children of Israel according unto all that the Divine Creator had given him in commandment unto them. God telling them that they had dwelt long enough in this mount and therefore could depart and take their journey going unto the hills of the Amorites and unto all places nigh thereunto, both fields, hills and dales: and unto the south and unto the sea’s side in the land of Canaan, and unto Lebanon: even unto the great river Euphrates.

Deu 1:3-4 The Scriptures 1998+  (3)  And it came to be in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Mosheh spoke to the children of Yisra’ĕl according to all that יהוה  {Jehovah} had commanded him concerning them,  (4)  after he had smitten Siḥon sovereign of the Amorites, who dwelt in Ḥeshbon, and Oḡ   sovereign of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Eḏreʽi.

They had to know and to believe that God had set them the land before them and that no matter what would happen they should trust God going in to possess the land which Jehovah swore unto their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give unto them and their seed after them.

Deu 1:8 The Scriptures 1998+  (8)  ‘See, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which יהוה  {Jehovah} swore to your fathers, to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ, to give to them and their seed after them.’

Instead of trust we see that the Israelites have so much fear that they doubt that the road would be safe for them.

“Destruction of the Army of the Amorites” by Gustave Doré. Jos 10:11 … the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones and than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Deu 1:20-40 The Scriptures 1998+  (20)  “And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which יהוה  {Jehovah} our Elohim is giving us.  (21)  ‘See, יהוה  {Jehovah} your Elohim has set the land before you. Go up and possess it, as יהוה  {Jehovah} Elohim of your fathers has spoken to you. Do not fear, nor be discouraged.’  (22)  “And all of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we would come.’  (23)  “And the matter was good in my eyes, so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.  (24)  “And they turned and went up into the mountains, and came to the wadi Eshkol, and spied it out.  (25)  “And they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us. And they brought back word to us, saying, ‘The land which יהוה  {Jehovah} our Elohim is giving us is good.’  (26)  “But you would not go up and rebelled against the mouth of יהוה  {Jehovah} your Elohim,  (27)  and grumbled in your tents, and said, ‘Because יהוה  {Jehovah} was hating us, He has brought us out of the land of Mitsrayim to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.  (28)  ‘Where are we going to? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we, the cities are great and walled up to the heavens, and we saw the sons of the Anaqim there too.” ’  (29)  “Then I said to you, ‘Have no dread or fear of them.  (30)  ‘יהוה  {Jehovah} your Elohim, who is going before you, He does fight for you, according to all He did for you in Mitsrayim before your eyes,  (31)  and in the wilderness, where you saw how יהוה  {Jehovah} your Elohim has borne you, as a man bears his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’  (32)  “Yet in this matter you are putting no trust in יהוה  {Jehovah} your Elohim,  (33)  who is going before you in the way to seek out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in fire by night and in a cloud by day.  (34)  “And יהוה  {Jehovah} heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and took an oath, saying,  (35)  ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers,  (36)  except Kalĕb son of Yephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and his children I give the land on which he walked, because he followed יהוה  {Jehovah} completely.’  (37)  “And יהוה  {Jehovah} was enraged with me for your sakes, saying, ‘You do not go in there, either.  (38)  ‘Yehoshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Strengthen him, for he shall cause Yisra’ĕl to inherit.  (39)  ‘And your little ones and your children, who you say are for a prey, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they are going in there. And to them I give it, and they are to possess it.  (40)  ‘But you, turn and take your journey into the wilderness by the Way of the Sea of Reeds.’

We see that it were the Israelites who requested a look-see at what was ahead. God had made it possible for His people to go away from slavery and to go to a new land which they could call their own. Though now we see that their mind was not yet open enough for the mind of God and not trusting enough in the capabilities of the Most High Sovereign. Instead of believing God they once more doubted the possibilities laid in front of them. God had led them with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. He had gotten them through the Red Sea in a most spectacular way.  He had fed them with manna and quails and had provided them with water from a rock. Still they were not yet convinced of the Mighty Power of God. No wonder we can see how difficult it is for people today who cannot see those wonders of the Most High.

We do agree that it must not have been easy to walk day in day out for 40 years, but they knew it was their own fault. After all the walking and time enough for meditation you would think they would now have come to the faith and belief everything God promised them. Though still they were not all convinced and many let them be carried away by those who did not believe. The ones who continued to carry their fear, showing lack of trust and discontent, infected the others.

Fear had to be counter-balanced with trust and believing. God let them send spies, like they requested, and the results of their thinking and readiness was exposed.

Num 13:1-3 The Scriptures 1998+  (1)  And  יהוה  {Jehovah} spoke to Mosheh, saying,  (2)  “Send men to spy out the land of Kenaʽan, which I am giving to the children of Yisra’ĕl. Send one man from each tribe of their fathers, every one a leader among them.”  (3)  And by the command of  יהוה  {Jehovah} Mosheh sent them from the Wilderness of Paran, all of them men who were heads of the children of Yisra’ĕl.

Num 13:30-33 The Scriptures 1998+  (30)  And Kalĕb silenced the people before Mosheh, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are certainly able to overcome it.”  (31)  But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”  (32)  And they gave the children of Yisra’ĕl an evil report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land eating up its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.  (33)  “And we saw there the Nephilim, sons of Anaq, of the Nephilim. And we were like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so we were in their eyes.”

Again the Israelites thought the others were stronger than they and did not believe God would be helping them to conquer them. Afraid of those who looked like giants, the children of Anak which are of the giants. And they seemed in their sight as it were grasshoppers. Although 10 of the 12 spies sent to explore the land had come back, found and said the land was flowing with milk and honey they had such a negative frame of mind.

The encouragement of two of the 12 could not convince the group to go out because the fear of the other ten spies and their influence on the Israelites was bigger. Again the people of God found themselves on the edge of the abyss it seemed. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel that the land, which they passed through to spy it out, was an exceedingly good land. But this could not help against the rebellion.
They kept fearing the people of the land who lost protection from them God being with the Israelites who as such had nothing to fear.

Num 14:10-38 The Scriptures 1998+  (10)  But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the esteem of יהוה  {Jehovah} appeared in the Tent of Meeting before all the children of Yisra’ĕl.  (11)  And יהוה  {Jehovah} said to Mosheh, “How long shall I be scorned by these people? And how long shall I not be trusted by them, with all the signs which I have done in their midst?  (12)  “Let Me smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”  (13)  And Mosheh said to יהוה  {Jehovah}, “Then the Mitsrites shall hear it, for by Your power You brought these people up from their midst,  (14)  and they shall say to the inhabitants of this land they have heard that You, יהוה  {Jehovah}, are in the midst of these people, that You, יהוה  {Jehovah}, are seen eye to eye and that Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a column of cloud by day and in a column of fire by night.  (15)  “Now if You shall kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your report shall speak, saying,  (16)  ‘Because יהוה  {Jehovah} was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’  (17)  “And now, I pray, let the power of יהוה  {Jehovah} be great, as You have spoken, saying,  (18)  ‘יהוה  {Jehovah} is patient and of great kindness, forgiving crookedness and transgression, but by no means leaving unpunished1; visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Footnote: 1This is confirmed in Ex. 34:7 and in Jer. 30:11.  (19)  “Please forgive the crookedness of this people, according to the greatness of Your kindness, as You have forgiven this people, from Mitsrayim even until now.”  (20)  And יהוה  {Jehovah} said, “I shall forgive, according to your word,  (21)  but truly, as I live and all the earth is filled with the esteem of יהוה  {Jehovah},  (22)  for none of these men who have seen My esteem and the signs which I did in Mitsrayim and in the wilderness, and have tried Me now these ten times, and have disobeyed My voice,  (23)  shall see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor any of those who scorned Me see it.  (24)  “But My servant Kalĕb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me completely, I shall bring into the land where he went, and his seed shall inherit it.  (25)  “Since the Amalĕqites and the Kenaʽanites are dwelling in the valley, turn back tomorrow and set out into the wilderness by the Way of the Sea of Reeds.”  (26)  And יהוה  {Jehovah} spoke to Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying,  (27)  “How long shall this evil congregation have this grumbling against Me? I have heard the grumblings which the children of Yisra’ĕl are grumbling against Me.  (28)  “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares יהוה  {Jehovah}, ‘as you have spoken in My hearing, so I do to you:  (29)  ‘The carcasses of you who have grumbled against Me are going to fall in this wilderness, all of you who were registered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.  (30)  ‘None of you except Kalĕḇ son of Yephunneh, and Yehoshua son of Nun, shall enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.  (31)  ‘But your little ones, whom you said would become a prey, I shall bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.  (32)  ‘But as for you, your carcasses are going to fall in this wilderness.  (33)  ‘And your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your whorings, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.  (34)  ‘According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days – a day for a year, a day for a year – you are to bear your crookednesses forty years, and you shall know My breaking off.  (35)  ‘I am יהוה  {Jehovah}, I have spoken, I shall do this to all this evil congregation who are meeting against Me: In this wilderness they are consumed, and there they die.’ ”  (36)  And the men whom Mosheh sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing an evil report of the land,  (37)  even those men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before יהוה  {Jehovah}.  (38)  Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Yehoshua son of Nun, and Kalĕḇ son of Yephunneh remained alive.

Their hesitation and disbelief did not help them to go further instead, this time, it angered God. Their fear caused them to wander and procrastinate and eventually kept them from what God wanted for them. They did it to themselves.

We should take such story as a lesson also for us. How much do we want to trust God? How much do we follow the path God has laid in front of us?

Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, later could tell he was forty years old when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent him from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land. Though he brought Moses word again as it was in his heart, his brothers who went up with him made the heart of the people melt. Because Caleb kept faithful to God, fully following Jehovah his God, Jehovah has kept him alive these forty-five years as He said, even since Jehovah spoke this word to Moses, while Israel wandered in the wilderness. This made Caleb being able to become eighty-five years whilst others had died already.

Jos 14:6-10 The Scriptures 1998+  (6)  And the children of Yehuḏah came to Yehoshua in Gilgal, and Kalĕb son of Yephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which יהוה  {Jehovah} said to Mosheh the man of Elohim concerning you and me in Qad??sh Barn?a.  (7)  “I was forty years old when Mosheh the servant of יהוה  {Jehovah} sent me from Qaḏĕsh Barnĕa to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.  (8)  “But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I followed יהוה  {Jehovah} my Elohim completely.  (9)  “So Mosheh swore on that day, saying, ‘The land on which your foot has trodden is your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have followed יהוה  {Jehovah} my Elohim completely.’  (10)  “And now, see, יהוה  {Jehovah} has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years since יהוה  {Jehovah} spoke this word to Mosheh while Yisra’ĕl walked in the wilderness. And now, see, I am eighty-five years old today.

The People of God who had received many proofs that God was with them still were not trusting God enough. Like for them you can say the edge of believing is always in front of us. From the fall onwards man got fear. Suddenly they were afraid to being naked and been seen by others. From then onwards fear stayed with man as a natural human emotion.

We should now that above fear there is the security of knowing. There is wisdom and healthy respect which shall be to our are benefit. Though we should be well aware that the danger is always looking around the corner. The adversary of God is always standing ready to bring us in doubt and to give us fear. This fear can shut us down when we don’t take it to God. We should be so convinced that we do not have to fear God by coming to Him with our doubts and questions. With all what we have in Scriptures we should know that we can trust Him. Jehovah is absolutely approachable with honest prayer and provides several means of reassurance. He also has given His only begotten son to be a mediator between God and man. In him too we should trust, that he can talk in our name with his heavenly Father and be our guide in distress.

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Please do find to read further:

Like grasshoppers

Believing in God the Rewarder

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Additional reading:

1. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
2. God Our Refuge
3. Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart

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