And you shall hang the veil from the hooks, and shall bring the ark of the Witness there, behind the veil. And the veil shall make a separation for you between the Set-apart and the Most Set-apart Place.
And you shall put the lid of atonement upon the ark of the Witness in the Most Set-apart Place. TS2009
We are collecting all the things YHWH/God said into less than 1 min videos. Follow our youtube Playlist to see all the shorts as they drop. The first will drop tomorrow at 10 am EST. Hope you enjoy them and learn something too!
We also have a Jesus said Playlist, those videos drop at 12 pm EST.
Hope you check them out!
Matthew 28:19 Go and teach the peoples, immersing them in the character, reputation, authority, and purpose of Yah/God …
Jesus continues his instructions in verse 20. Teaching the nations to … here’s were we find out what is to be taught, what do you think it is?
To observe … for us today, this word doesn’t quite portray the meaning. We can observe something from afar, and when we think of observing something, we do not necessarily think of participating in that something while observing. However, this word, tēreō, is also translated as keep, reserve, watch, preserve, hold fast, to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard (Strong’s and Thayer’s).
To keep and guard what? All things whatsoever I [Jesus] have commanded. Couple of things to consider when determining what are the commandments Jesus commanded?
We aren’t going to list out the actual commands here, if you know you should go, teach, and immerse people in the character, reputation, authority, and purpose of Yahweh/God, then this is something you should dive into the scriptures to discover.
Teaching the people to keep and guard what Jesus commanded, and Jesus will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.
We see a similar line to this in Jeremiah 7:23
23 but I explicitly commanded them: ‘Obey My voice and I will be your God to you and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways that I command you that it may go well with you.
TLV
Now go and teach the peoples, immersing them in the character, reputation, authority, and purpose of Yah/God. Teaching them to keep and guard all that Jesus has commanded. Then Jesus will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Head on over to our youtube and check out the shorts we are dropping daily. We’ve taken one long video and broken it up into Shorts – less than 60 seconds each. You can find them all on the shorts playlist.
Click here to go to Sabbath play list and skip to the first Shorts.
Or click here for the long video Scripture Survey: Sabbath and Seventh Day Rest.
This is a video covering all the scriptures referring to the Sabbath or Seventh Day Rest. It is a long one and may need to be a couple cups of coffee or tea over a couple days. But if you’ve wanted to see what was said about the Sabbath Day, this is the one to watch. Wondering who the Sabbath day was given to – was it just the Jews – this is the one to watch. Did Jesus keep the Sabbath? Did the disciples or Paul? Is the Sabbath day mentioned in the New Testament? This is the one to watch to get those answers. Remember, in a Ceasefire Moment we have to be willing to set aside all our pre-conceived ideas and seek to understand – not necessarily to agree.
Ge 2:2–3; Ex 16:23–30; 20:8–11; 23:12; 31:13–17; 34:21; 35:1–3; Le 19:3, 30; 23:3–39; 25:2–8; 26:2, 34–43; Nu 15:32; 28:25; Dt 5:12–15; Ne 9:14; 10:31–33; 13:15–22; Is 1:13; 56:2–6; 58:13; 66:23; La 2:6; Eze 20:12–24; 22:8, 26; 23:38; 44:24; 46:3; Ho 2:11; Mt 12:1–12; 24:20; 28:1; Mk 1:21; 2:23–28; 3:2–4; 6:2; 15:42; 16:1; Lk 4:16, 31; 6:1–9; 13:10–16; 14:1–5; 23:54–56; Jn 5:9–18; 7:22–23; 9:14–16; 19:31; Ac 13:14, 27–44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4; Col 2:16; Heb 4:4–9
Before we dig into this one:
Now, are you ready for what is about to be taught by Jesus? Put away your preconceived ideas and let Jesus teach you.
You (the disciples) heard that it was said to the ancients … The ancients, the first ones, the leaders, people long ago – who are they talking about? Most would answer “the Jews,” or “The Israelites,” but these would not be correct. We would all associate the do not murder with what we call the Ten Commandments. Who were those given to:
Do not murder … Let’s talk about murder. The concept of murder in the Old Testament is something which can not be done accidentally. It means taking a life willfully – on purpose. The only “accidental” taking of life which carried the same penalty of a life taken willfully is in Exodus 21 when people are fighting and a pregnant woman is struck and gives birth prematurely and there is serious injury resulting in death. It also is not an offense to murder during war. If a life was taken by accident, they could run to a sanctuary city so the family of the deceased wouldn’t kill them.
subject to, fit for, in danger of, judgment – There was a requirement of at least two witnesses in order to convict someone (Deut 19) making them fit for judgment. You have to remember, at this time, the people had seen mighty acts of God, entire people groups swallowed up, a physical presence of God. They did not need to be convinced he would know if they had done something wrong. There real struggle was grasping what God found wrong, their draw to return to their old ways from living in Egypt. Don’t cha think we have the same issues today?
The Hebrew word used here for judgement is mishpat. It is translated a variety of ways making it hard for us to see connections in our English Bible translations. We see this word in Genesis 18, Abraham and his household shomer/keep to do tzedakah/right and mishpat/just. We find a list of mishpatim/ordinances (plural of mishpat) in Exodus 21 a long list begins and the Israelite camp agrees to them in Exodus 24. We find mishpat/laws about personal injury and murder in this list.
As Christians we try to lump everything under “the law” or “the commandments” but this is not the way the Hebrew Bible is laid out. The Torah has many different recommendations just like we have today. There is a difference between a civil and criminal crime, we have guidelines, mandates, ordinances, laws etc. Not all are prosecutable and not all carry jail time. Its the same in the Torah.
God tells his chosen people, shomer/keep my chukkot/decrees and mishpatim/laws, in Exodus 18. This is a phrase he repeats over and over.
We see this same word in John 12 along with some other words we’ve been looking at:
As Ohr/light I have come into the Hazeh/world (earth), so that everyone who trusts in Me should not remain in choshech/darkness.
“If anyone hears My dvarim/words but doesn’t shomer/keep them, I do not judge him; for I came to save the Hazeh/world, not to mishpat/judge the Hazeh/world. The one who rejects Me and doesn’t receive My dvarim/words has a Shofet/judge; the dvar/word I spoke will judge him on the last day.
TLV (emphasis and Hebrew words added)
Are you getting what Jesus is putting down there? Hear and keep or hear and be judged. His words will save us from judgment. This is the whole works/faith concept. If you love him (faith), you will keep (works) his words. If you don’t keep (works) his words you must not really love (faith) him. If you don’t keep (works) his words, you open yourself up to be mishpat/judged by those very same words.
But – And … In each of these statements, most translations use the word ‘but’ here, however, it is worth noting, this same word is also translated as indeed, and, and also, for, then, so, however, because … you can see the range of available options here. Many Hebrew scholars lean toward the ‘and’ as opposed to the ‘but’. It was a well known saying, “you have heard it said, but I say …” with a meaning of, let me add to what you’ve already heard to give a deeper understanding. Take that as you may.
who is angry … Well, this one sounds like it’s going to get us all in trouble! Literal translations have a bit some clarifying statements like: Angry without cause, hates, wroth (has wrath). The Greek word carries a meaning of manipulation with it. It also is a fixed anger, it’s an attitude toward someone as an opponent and fixed on punishment. This isn’t about being mad at someone for a few minutes. Its a feeling toward someone you carry with you. Leviticus 19 says do not hate your brother in your heart.
Jesus says, you think God’s command is about taking a life, it isn’t, it’s about your heart toward others, especially when it’s negatively fixed on punishment and without cause. Not murdering may keep the letter of his mishpat/law, but it doesn’t keep the heart of the mishpat/law. If you live like this, you have placed yourself in danger of judgement.
AND … this is from Logos Bible Software – the word highlighted in yellow – is this word, the word highlighted in green, is the word used for But above. However, these are chosen Greek words. It was a matter of a choice by the interpreter.
Hold on now, we are about to hit some tough bumps.
Whoever says raca … Well, thank goodness we don’t ever say raca right? Do you say ‘Peti!’? Yeah probably not. How about any of these? Empty fellow? Easy to Seduce? Stupid? Ouch, I’m guessing that one got most of us. Some other’s that could apply here: Empty headed, senseless, worthless, good for nothing. This is the only place in all of scripture this word appears. At that time, it was a very strong insult and usually said with utter contempt, a strong feeling of disliking or despising. It was so offensive because everyone is created in the image of God. This was saying they had no spiritual connection to God, a mistake. Just like the anger, this seems to be an action out of a feeling which is on-going. This might be something we’ll all be thinking on later, or at least we should.
If a disciple does that he is in danger of the Sanhedrim. This basically means judgment again. The Sanhedrin were the judicial council of the Jews. These are the people who tried Jesus, Paul, and several of the disciples.
And … whoever says … this one is going to get us all … moron, rebel, fool. This is the noun form of the word used earlier in Matthew describing the salt loosing it’s taste. It refers to someone not functioning properly. It is used later in Matthew 25:3. There is more to this than just calling someone a fool. Jesus says anyone hearing his words and not doing them is a fool in Matthew 7. And he calls people fools in Matthew 23. In 1 Corinthians 1, we read God has chosen the fools of the world. But this is talking about someone who is falsely or incorrectly accusing someone of doing something wrong.
In the Hebrew scriptures found, the part about the Sanhedrim and the moron do not appear. It indicates whoever says raca is in danger of fire of Gei-Hinnom.
In danger of fire of Gei-Hinnom – this was a literal place at the time. It was a very nasty place, full of darkness. It was called the Valley of Hinnom, well, it is still called that today, it just isn’t so nasty anymore. This is where The adversary/satan and his messengers will be put. So, yeah, not a place you want to be in danger of going.
Jesus is making this old law new – back a few blogs we discovered the Hebrew meaning to new is like our words refurbish or renovate. Restoring something to it’s former glory. He isn’t creating a brand new command, he is refurbishing the original which has been beaten up, distorted, and doesn’t look much like it did when it was first created. This is YHWH/God’s law found in the Torah/First Five Books of Our Bible.
Let’s refresh before moving forward, Jesus is talking about someone:
It seems Jesus is more concerned about the heart than the action. Yet, it seems, if someone carries these kind of feelings, over time, given the wrong situation, it could very easily become purposefully killing someone.
Purposefully killing someone … hmmm … if we continually have an unjust anger, see someone as an opponent, are fixed on them receiving punishment, and have an utter contempt, disliking, or despising for them, could our actions, words, posture, and demeanor toward them slowly and purposefully kill them inside?
Could carrying all these feelings around purposefully kill us from the inside?
We are going to stop right here. Take some time to evaluate your heart. Does this describe you? Is there someone you hold these kind of feelings toward? Are you carrying an unjust anger toward someone? Do you want to see someone punished for a reason not worthy of punishment?
Do you have these kind of feelings about yourself? That can’t be good either, right?
Just like God said to the first human murderer, Abel:
Is it not if you do tov/good, you are to be accepted? And if you do not do tov/good, towards the door is a sin.
Genesis 4 (TS2009)
Literal Hebrew Translation: The light of the world is not able to hide the city that rests on the mountain.
YOU – who is you? The disciples of Jesus, because back up in verse 1 we are told Jesus is teaching the disciples who came to him.
In this passage it seems light has something to do with others seeing our good works and glorifying YHWH/God.
We don’t hid it. In fact, the literal translation implies we are not able to, nor would we want to. We are to let it shine because we want others to see our good works and glorify YHWH/God.
A city is stationary, but it’s light shines beaconing people to it. A lamp shines and provides vision.
Lampstand, especially one in “the house” typically has some kind of connection to the lampstand in the Set Apart/Holy Place in the tabernacle, it’s light never went out – it was tended to daily. There are many, many times the word light is speaking about this lampstand. Sometimes it represents the Tree of Life found in the Garden of Eden. It is also points to Jesus, who is the Light of the World. The seven churches in Revelation are referred to as lampstands.
God says he will keep the servant of the Lord and will make the servant of the Lord to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeons those who sit in darkness. Matthew tells us in Chapter 12 Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy. Being a light for Gentiles is also mentioned in Isaiah 49.
Compares evil with rah/darkness and tov/good with light. The word used for good is tov, the plural of this is tovim. In Genesis, every time we see ‘God said it was good‘ – the word is tov. The very first thing God said was tov was the light in verse 4. It was then when he divided the light and the darkness. Cool huh?
— An interesting little tid-bit about tov and tovim, in Hebrew, good morning and good night use tov, but good afternoon uses tovim. It is said this is because it is only at the noon time when there is only light and no shadow – thus, both sides of the east and the west are light. —
David sang about the Lord being his lamp and turning his chosheck/darkness into light.
Other than in the Psalms, the most references to light in one scroll/book is in Job, 31 times. Almost all of them are contrasting light and darkness – light walking in His ways, darkness not.
We see where Adonai sets apart the godly for his own. Many ask, “Who will show us some tov/good? May the light of Your face shine upon us Adonai! You have put joy in my heart.
Moses’s face shined after being in the presents of YHWH/God. I think we are starting to see a pattern here. Out of the 129 references to light in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, 34 of those also reference darkness in the same sentence. Light represents good and walking in God’s ways. Darkness represents bad and not walking in his ways. Who will show us some tov/good. Matthew tells us the light will shine on our good works. Let’s look at what God sees as good.
We see where it is talking about the Exodus when God led them through the wilderness. Nehemiah write, you led them by a pillar of fire to give the ohr/light on their way were to take. Nehemiah is talking about when God descended on Mt Sinai …
-- time out: when we first started in verse 1, we talked about how Matthew was tying what happened on Mt. Sinai to this sermon "on the mount." Go back and look if you didn't read that one, it's a few posts back. --
… He goes on to record, “You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are tovim/good. You made known to them your holy Sabbaths and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.”
— timeout: don’t miss those hunger and thirst references here as well. this might be a really good chapter to read in tandem with Matthew 5 – what do you think?
Regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are tov/good … words used here are mishpatim yesharim, torot emes, chukkim mitzvot, and torah. We as Christians have decided to lump everything into one word and call all of these either “laws,” or “commandments.” Neither of these can successfully convey what was actually put forth at Mt. Sinai. In fact, God referred to some of them as his Testimony or Witness – think on that one for a bit. Some of those still stand, some of those no longer apply. But that is a later topic. For now, to sum these all up, we would say you gave them your laws and/or commandments.
Adonai says when you remember your ra’im/evil ways and your deeds that were not tovim/good, you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your iniquities and your to’avot/lusts.
That passage is right after God says he will sprinkle clean water on them and they will be clean. He will give them a chadash/new heart and a chadashah/new ruach/spirit within them. That he will put his Ruach Hakodesh/Holy Spirit with in them. He will cause them to walk in YHWH/God’s chukkot/laws, so they can shomer/keep his mishpatim/rulings and do them. They will be his people and he will be their God. Are you getting the picture here? Did you think this was a “New Testament” concept?
Chadash – we simply read the word ‘new’ but this word in Hebrew is slightly different than what we think of when we think new. It typically means, ‘to restore to a previous condition.’ Another word we might use today is refurbished. When you take something old, and bring it back to its better days. God says he will refurbish or restore our heart and our spirit by putting his Holy Spirit with in us. Once he does that, we will shomer or keep guard, be watchful over his laws and do them. It isn’t a “new covenant” it is a refurbished or restored covenant. I’m sure you will be wrestling with that one for a bit.
Back to Ezekiel 36, just after that passage he says, I will cause the cities to be inhabited. They will say, ‘This land that was a wasteland has become like the garden of Eden.’ He says, the nations left around them will know that he is Adonai who has rebuilt the ruins and replanted the desolate. Now that is a picture that lines up with Matthew 5, and the city, the light, the good works, isn’t it?
Ephesians 5, says live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord. The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. To have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness but to expose them. This right here is sounding a little like being the salt earlier in Matthew 5. Although, at the time Jesus said these words written in Matthew, our current Second Writings/New Testament didn’t exist, not everyone at that time would have made the connection we can today. John records Jesus calling himself the light of the world so we know he spoke about the light in other teachings.
It may also be worth noting, nothing in this passage implies that being the Light of the World has anything to do with going out and preaching the Gospel or Good News. It says our good works will glorify the Father who is in the heavens. To be the light of the world means to walk in his regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees commands (I think you get the idea). Your good works will be the light so the world SEES the Good News of Where God Reigns/Kingdom of Heaven come to earth.
There are actually a whole lot more connections between the Spirit, Light, Laws, and Sign when you look for them, but here is a flow from beginning to end to get your thought processes going:
To Jews, this is the most holiest of days. But many Christians have barely heard of the Day of Atonement, unless in relation to Jesus’s second coming, yet it has many connections to Jesus The Anointed One/Christ and exactly what he has done and will do.
Do you remember when they cast lots over Jesus’s garments? There are only two others who had lots cast for them, the scapegoat and Jonah.
On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest, who was anointed and consecrated to be the High Priest in his father’s place, put on the holy linen garments, and made the atonement. He made atonement for the Most Set-Apart Place/Holy of Holies, the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle, the priests, and all the people of the assembly. The High Priests served at a sanctuary that was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.
He would bring a sin offering and a ram offering. The Sin offering was to make atonement for the High Priest and his house. Then two goats would be presented at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle. The High Priest would cast lots for the two goats – one for YHWH/God and the other for the scapegoat. The goat which the lot for YHWH/God fell on would be made as a sin offering. The goat which the lot fell as the scapegoat would be presented before YHWH/God to make atonement upon it by sending it away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.
The sin offering goat would be for the people, it’s blood would be brought before and sprinkled upon the atonement cover/mercy seat. It was because of the uncleaness of Israel and their transgressions, all their sins.
The High Priest would lay his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confess all the iniquities of Israel, all their transgressions, all their sins, placed on the head of the goat and then the goat would be sent away into the wilderness. The goat would carry all those things into the wilderness.
This was to be a statue forever, they were to do no kind of work – both the native born and the outsider dwelling with YHWH/God’s chosen people. On this day, atonement was made for all, they would be clean before YHWH/God.
The scapegoat was for Azazel. Azazel in Hebrew can be translated as “the goat that goes away,” now shorted to scapegoat. Azazel is found no where else in the Biblical Canon we have today. Some scholars connect Azazel with Moc, the god of death. There is also a story of Azazel in Enoch. It tells that Azazel was the name of the leader of the angels who came down and sinned in Genesis 6:1-4.
Azazel taught men all iniquity. YHWH/God told Raphael to bind Azazel and throw him into darkness and to write against him: ALL SIN. Thus the scapegoat takes all sin out of the Holy Place, into the wilderness, back to Azazel.
Whatever the story behind the Azazel-scapegoat, the goat would carry away the sins.
If you haven’t already seen them, references to Jesus are all over the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.
There is repentance – they confessed their sins and symbolically placed them on the scapegoat which was turned out into the wilderness, removing the sins. Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. God put his laws in their minds and wrote them on their hearts.
There is a sin offering – this symbolically covered the wages of sin – death. Instead of the people being put to death, the animal took their place. But then Jesus came. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to give his life as a ransom for many. Since the children have flesh and blood, Jesus shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death. He died as a ransom to set free from sins committed under the first covenant.
There is cleansing – the blood symbolically cleansed the mercy seat, the tabernacle, and the other elements throughout the tabernacle – YHWH/God’s dwelling place. The Blood of Jesus cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death. Jesus did not enter by blood of goats and calves, he entered by his own blood, obtaining eternal redemption.
There is a restoration of right relationship – all of the symbolism is a representation of YHWH/God’s love for them and once sin is removed from the temple, YHWH/God can dwell with them, and they can be in right relationship with him again. Jesus had to be made fully human in every way so he might become a merciful and faithful high priest, that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Now, you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells within you.
Once Jesus The Anointed One/Christ’s mission was accomplished on the cross, the Veil between the Set Apart Place/The Holy Place and the Most Set Apart Place/The Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom. We have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, who has entered the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever.
So Jesus was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.
A vast multitude that no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues – was standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The One seated on the throne will shelter them. Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. He sacrificed for their sins, once for all, when he offered himself.
There is no temple in the city because God and the Lamb are its temple. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.
The third book contained the wicked deeds of the people. God said to the Adversary, these are yours, take them. The Adversary took them away, into a waste land.
As a Christian, on this Day of Atonement – It was meant to be a day of rest (no work) and fasting.. Take time to repent, give thanks, and rejoice for all that YHWH/God and Jesus have done! Maybe take some time to read Hebrews Chapters 6-10 with some of these pictures in your mind – you may be surprised at what jumps out at you now. Take some time to read some of the scriptures referenced below. And be watchful!
5 Yeshua began to tell them, “Watch out that no one leads you astray! 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed, for this must happen but it is not yet the end. 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These things are only the beginning of birth pains.
33 “Keep on the lookout! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time is.
36 So watch in case, coming suddenly, he finds you asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all: ‘Stay alert!’”
Mark 13 (TLV)
Leviticus 16, Leviticus 23, Enoch 1-16, Hebrew 13, Mark 10, Hebrew 2, 4-10 1 Corinthians 3, Matthew 27, Revelation 7, Ezekiel 9, Revelation 19, Revelation 21, Gad 14
The literal Hebrew translation goes something more like this:
You are the instruction of the world, but the instruction is cut off by them who are not saved, and nothing else is fit, except to cast them to the street and to trample them.”
Whoa! I don’t know about you, but to me, that doesn’t even sound like the same verse.
The word ‘salt’ to a Jewish person at that time carried with it a whole lot more than it does for us at this time. For us, salt is something we tend to have sitting on the table to flavor our food. Some who can their harvest, know it is used as a preservative, but that is not generally the main use for salt on an every day basis.
For the Jews, it was. Salt was necessary, it wasn’t an option to use at dinner. No salt meant spoiled food. Spoiled food meant throwing it out – no dinner at all. Salt was not meant as a flavoring, it was meant for purification and preservation.
Salt was significant in its use in the Temple. It was used for meal-offerings, showbread, the incense, and was in every single grain offering. Salt was significant as a sign of a covenant.
YHWH/God said his right-rulings, ordnances, and commands were a sign of a covenant. Rabbis had a saying, ‘just like the world can not do without salt, neither can it do without Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament). ,
Are you getting a better understanding of how significant salt was at the time Jesus is telling these disciples THEY are the salt?
Loose savor – In Hebrew, this word can mean split, destroyed, annihilated.
They are the salt, if they are not the salt, then nothing is preserved, it is spoiled and has to be thrown out.
Luke 14 and Mark 9 record two other instances where Jesus references the same idea about loosing flavor.
Being the salt of the world is a delicate balance because if too much salt is applied, it also has to be thrown out because it can not be taken in. At the same time, just a little salt on a slug can be deadly.
Check out more on Salt:
Generally the Beatitudes are separated from the rest of Matthew 5, as well as Chapters 6 and 7 of Matthew containing the Sermon on the Mount. However, just as when we attend classes or lectures, everything builds upon each other.
As we continue on, keep in mind the torah/teaching Jesus has just given in verses 1-12. Use them to inform your understanding of what comes after them.
Those disciples who are humble in their life principles and their way of life; who are urging, imploring, exhorting, weeping; who rest in obedience to YHWH/God’s ways; who are hungry and thirsty and seeking after justice, fairness, and not sinning (being in right relationship with YHWH and others); who are merciful; who walk through life with a mind and thoughts which are clean and pure and see YHWH/God wherever they look; who as a peacemaker, reflect the image of YHWH/God striving to bring peace between man and YHWH/God and between men; who are cursed, persecuted, lied about, and all kinds of evil things said against them because of speaking YHWH/God’s truth, doing the right thing in YHWH/God’s eyes …
They are blessed/happy because they walk where God reigns/in the Kingdom of Heaven, are comforted, find kindness, see YHWH/God, are called a Son of God, know YHWH/God is pleased with them, and bring where God is/heaven to earth.
With all that in mind, let’s continue …
It is hard for us to envision persecution with being blessed/happy. We tend to see these as being on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Let’s break this one down.
What is righteousness? Earlier in Matthew 5, we were told those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled/satisfied. The Greek word implies justice and fairness. The Hebrew word is centered in being in right relationship both with YHWH/God and with others. By default, if we are not in right relationship with others, then we are not in right relationship with YHWH/God. It was a simple concept for the Jewish disciples listening to Jesus’s torah/teaching.
Being made free of sin, we became the servants of righteousness (Romans 6). Sin is the opposite of righteousness.
Now we can see a clearer picture of who these persecuted ones are. These are not people being persecuted for something they believe in. They are specifically, those who are persecuted for striving to be in right relationship with YHWH/God and others, seeking justice and fairness, they are blessed/happy because they are living where God reigns/the reign of the heavens. Sounds a lot like the peacemakers doesn’t it?
Jesus continues on about persecuted ones. He says, these persecuted ones, who are cursed, persecuted, lied about, and all kinds of evil things said against them, should shout for joy? Why?
Rewards in heaven? The Hebrew thought here in regards to rewards is similar to wages – your wages are great where God is/in heaven. The Greek thought is your rewards will be not necessarily more in number, but stronger, more intense.
These persecuted ones are just like the prophets who came before. They were willing to speak truth when the truth was unpopular. But they didn’t just speak THEIR truth, they were striving to be in right relationship with YHWH/God and bring others into right relationship with YHWH/God. Many of them were imprisoned or literally killed. Think of Daniel in the lions den. Think of Elijah fleeing and hiding. Think Moses leading the exodus from Egypt.
Persecuted for doing the right thing in YHWH/God’s eyes, not in man’s eyes. Think Jesus on the cross.
All blessed/happy because they knew YHWH/God was pleased with them because they were steadfast in walking where God reigns/in the reign of heaven.
Jewish flashback: 2 Chronicles 36:16
This is one of the most straight forward beatitudes. Peacemaker is someone who makes peace. Boom, nice and simple. But is it?
YHWH/God’s peace is wholeness, completeness, it is shalom/total or complete well being personally and communally. That isn’t something easy to achieve in one’s self, let alone trying to bring it to others.
As a peacemaker, when you see conflict within yourself between what YHWH/God desires and what your flesh desires, you die to your flesh. Being a peacemaker to oneself is dying to self, taking off the old and putting on the new.
As a peacemaker, when you see two people in conflict, you love them both, and you will insert yourself into that conflict and reconcile them together. Trying to bring righteousness. That isn’t always a simple task. And it most certainly isn’t a task without risk.
Where God Reigns/In the Kingdom of Heaven, reconciliation is one of the highest values. YHWH/God and Jesus made sacrifices in order to bring reconciliation. Jesus embodies everything a peacemaker should be. He died to himself, walked fully in the ways of YHWH/God and paid with his life in order to put an end to the conflict between man and YHWH/God.
And yet, this is the only time in the Biblical Cannon this complete phrase is used.
If we are a peacemaker, we are blessed/happy to be called Sons of God. In Hebrew, sons can include daughters, but daughters excludes sons.
Sons of God is a ranking term associated with the royal court. In the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament this term is only used in reference to spiritual beings where God is/in heaven. These Sons of God were second after YHWH/God, above the messengers/angels.
Because of how a peacemaker reflects the image of YHWH/God and the association with Jesus, -The Anointed One/Christ – the Son of God- the ultimate peacemaker – peacemakers will be called Sons of God.
Not so simple now, is it?
Jewish flashbacks: Isaiah 27:5; Isaiah 60:17
Pure, clean, unstained. Most instances refer to spiritual cleanliness.
At heart … Does this mean we should be eating healthy so our heart can be pure, and clean? No, when we see heart in Jewish literature it typically refers to a person’s mind and thoughts.
Psalm 199 says, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!”
Many do not believe we can be pure, unstained, blameless. We are all sinners, we can not live without sin, right?
Then why would Jesus say those who are clean and pure in their mind and thoughts/heart see YHWH/God?
Didn’t we just talk about the mercy Jesus has offered? If you didn’t see that one, it’s the post just before this one.
Jesus is a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to YHWH/God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Didn’t we talk about those who hunger and thirst to be in right relationship with YHWH/God and other’s being filled/satisfied?
This isn’t about physically seeing YHWH. It isn’t about “going to heaven” and seeing YHWH/God. This is about what do you see in others?
If you walk through life with your mind and thoughts clean, pure, and unstained, no matter where you look or who/what you look at, you will see YHWH/God. He is the creator of everything. He’s in each and every human being. He’s in each and every animal. He’s everywhere you see nature.
If you don’t see YHWH/God all around you, maybe it’s because your mind and thought isn’t so pure?
Flash back the Jewish disciples would have seen: Psalm 1, Psalm 24:3-4; Proverbs 22:11; Psalms 73:1; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalms 51:6
Hunger and Thirst are shown together in several scriptures, I’ve listed many at the bottom of this post. But there is also a writing outside our current Cannon of scripture which Jesus and the disciples, and even Paul would have considered important and most likely studied as part of their up bringing. This saying is from the book of Jasher. Jasher was referred to in Joshua and 2 Samuel.
And any man who had hunger and came to Abraham’s house, Abraham would give him bread that he might eat and drink and be satisfied, and any one that came naked to his house he would clothe with garments as he might choose, and give him silver and gold and make known to him the Lord who had created him in the earth; this did Abraham all his life.
Jasher 22
This is an interesting peek inside what happened in Abraham’s household. This would have certainly been something brought to mind in the Jewish disciples Jesus was giving this torah/teaching to. They my have thought to themselves, “Oh, I see, someone came to Abraham, they were filled, taken care of, and given what they needed.” Do you think your household resembles Abraham’s?
Hunger and thirsting are not pleasant feelings. Most of the world today has not actually experienced what true hunger and thirst feels like, even so, we know it isn’t something most would chose to happen to them. It isn’t a state typically sought after.
Righteousness – righteousness isn’t just being in right standing with YHWH/God, it is also being in right relationship with other’s as well. When one of YHWH/God’s people offended or transgressed someone, YHWH/God required not only a sacrifice to atone for the unrighteous act, but also a sacrifice to be given to the person who was transgressed against – in a double portion! If you stole a goat, you had to bring a goat to sacrifice as atonement, and two goats to give to the person you stole the goat from.
When we are not being active about this, we notice all is not well in YHWH/Gods world and we know YHWH/God is going to do something about it. This is not a place you want to be, so you will be actively seeking righteousness, keeping right relationship with both YHWH/God and others.
Righteous is about justice and fairness. When we seek to be righteous, we become the servants of righteousness (Romans 6). Job (29) put on righteousness and it clothed him as a robe and turbine. Later in Matthew, Jesus will say his disciples righteousness must exceed the religious leaders of that time.
The opposite of righteousness is sin.
Those hungry and thirsty and seeking after justice, fairness, and not sinning (being in right relationship with YHWH and others) are filled/satisfied. Are you filled and satisfied? Or do you find yourself asking for more and more? Unsatisfied with life? Maybe it’s time to figure out what being in right relationship with YHWH/God and other’s is as defined by YHWH/God – not man – and not you.
The Jewish flashbacks would include: Psalms 107:9; Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 55:1-2
Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament
Second Writings/New Testament
The meek, we have a vision of what meek means today, but it doesn’t necessarily paint the picture of what meek meant at the time Jesus was giving this torah/teaching.
This word carries with it the idea of someone who is gentle, humble, but it doesn’t mean someone who is timid, or someone others “walk all over”.
This same word is translated as righteous, the righteous inherit eternal life. The meek consider themselves as unimportant.
Jesus said he was meek. Matthew writes that the Messiah comes as meek.
The best way to overcome all our preconceived idea’s of meek would be to think of these people as those who rest in obedience to YHWH/God’s ways. It is someone who has a controlled spirit, a spirit controlled by YHWH/God’s Ruach/Breath (Holy Spirit).
Those who rest in obedience to YHWH/God’s ways are happy/blessed because they know they will inherit the earth.
If you know you are walking in YHWH/God’s ways, what is there to be concerned about? What is there to be upset about? It aligns with the saying, we read the end, we already know who wins. And those walking in YHWH/God’s ways will be greatest when YHWH/God finally reigns here on earth. So what of this world should be of greater concern than resting in YHWH/God’s ways?
The Jewish listeners would have had flashbacks to Flashback – Psalm 37:11; Psalm 2:8; Numbers 12:3; Psalms 37:9; Psalms 37:34; Isaiah 30:15, Jeremiah 6:16
Poor in spirit is the most common translation of this verse. But what does that really mean? Let’s find out.
In today’s culture, poor is strongly related to a financial position. But this poor is more closely related to one who is humble. The humble at that time are the people who no one admires or looks at. Often they were also poor financially. They would have been in a lowly, insignificant position, which was a favorable position to be in. These people were most open to what Jesus had to say, they had less to loose if they followed Jesus. When Jesus came along, he’s teachings were in direct contrast to what most holy teachers were teaching.
Spirit – the word here means the life principle, the breath within a person, the life, soul.
Take notice of the next word here – BECAUSE or FOR – this is telling us, listen up, what comes next is the WHY for what we just read. Remember present tense here – not something coming, something that is right now. Why are the humble in spirit happy/blessed?
Because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
Time out – we have to adjust what we think of when we read kingdom of heaven. It is not a future state or place, it is a current state experienced right here, right now, on earth. The kingdom of heaven exists when we have given complete authority, through Jesus Christ, to YHWH/God. A better way to think of this is Where God Reigns. It will help us adjust how we’ve been defining heaven and the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is where YHWH/God is – not up there, but anywhere YHWH/God is. And the Kingdom of Heaven is where YHWH/God is King – where he reigns – not up there, but anywhere YHWH/God is in charge, where he reigns.
Later in Mathew, Jesus is going to refer to the least and the greatest in the reign of heaven. This alone would imply the kingdom of heaven is not exclusively belonging to the humble in spirit. The humble in spirit will be a part of where God reigns/kingdom of heaven.
Happy are the humble in their life principles, their way of life, because they are where YHWH/God reigns.
That sure takes on a different meaning than what most of us are used to.
Some flashbacks which the Jewish people hearing this torah/teaching would be to Proverbs 29:23, Psalms 34:18, Isaiah 51:11-12, Isaiah 57:15, Proverbs 16:19.
Video teaching: https://youtu.be/jECh7DGmhdk
If we really grasp what Jesus was trying to say in Matthew 6:1-4. Oh boy!
In the most popular versions we read words like alms and righteousness which gives us a false sense of security in the thought that we most certainly aren’t doing that. In my many years as part of a church body, most often I’ve heard these verses associated with money, tithing, offerings. Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing – I give in secret and know one should know what I give.
But if we dig a bit deeper, we’d find just how far off we are on this. So far off, we are in danger of loosing rewards.
Greek speaking Jews thought of this word almost exclusively as giving charity to the needy. Given this meaning, we might have to ask the question, “Who are the needy?” Does the needy have to mean someone who is poor? Or could the needy just mean someone in need? It sounds very much like the question of “Who is my neighbor?” If you have to ask, then maybe you are missing the point – right?
However, for the Jews whom Jesus was speaking to, it was more connected to righteousness. Many at that time had come to use alms as redemptive. For a Christian today, we might say, they believed by doing alms they would be saved. They wanted everyone to know how righteous they were. They wanted to be recognized as one of the better Jews. For them, alms could atone for their sins and deliver them from death. Rabbi Assi said, giving of alms “equated to the whole law.”
There is a distinction between doing “good works” and “giving alms” because in Acts 9, Tabatha is described as a woman full of good works and kind acts or alms. And we know there are many scriptures referencing judging and seeing someone good works. But here, Jesus is saying to do your alms in secret. We won’t go into what are “good works” here, but we can safely say, they are different than what is being talked about here.
Instead of thinking of alms in regard to offerings and tithes, or associated with righteousness, a better word for today might be the word kindness.
Do not do your kindness before men. There, now you see it?
Jesus goes on to say, if you do your kindness SO THAT men will see it … let’s stop right there. This doesn’t mean men won’t see your kindness, it means if you are doing your kindness SO THAT men will see it. Do you see the difference there. You might do kindness men can see. This isn’t about anything outward, it’s about something inward that only you and YHWH/God will know. Someone who wants their kindness noticed will only do kindness that can be seen. They will want recognition for what they’ve done. If we are truly doing this type of kindness, we wont care if anyone notices or not. Because we will know regardless of if someone sees it or not, YHWH/God sees it. And that’s all that should matter to us.
If we do kindness SO THAT men will see it – then men will give us our rewards, “Ata boy!”, “Great Job!”, “Way to go!”, “Thank you.” That’s all you’ll get. And we all know how quickly men forget the kindness we do right? It’s a fleeting reward. It’s a sugar spike, a quick high, instant gratification, followed by a big drop off at the end. It can leave us feeling unappreciated, disgruntled, maybe even depressed.
“Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.” There is a lot more being said here if we turn back the clocks and hear it from the stand point of someone in the crowd that day.
The right could represent Jerusalem. But it typically represented power and strength, most specifically of YHWH/God. The right hand was directly tied to the word ‘believe.’ It also represented a good inclination to do what was right.
On the other hand – did you see that right there – it’s an idiom we use all of the time today – but when we use it – no physical hand is literally being referred to, that is what this saying was as well. On the other hand, the left symbolized weakness and represented the evil inclination to do what was wrong.
Don’t let your evil inclination, your weaknesses, take over what your good inclinations are doing. Be strong and believe and do the right thing. If we are a true disciple of YHWH/God, we won’t look for men to recognize our kindness. Not that we won’t receive recognition, not that we can’t appreciate the recognition, but we do not NEED the recognition, because we already know in our hearts, we have been recognized.
Our Father, he sees. He sees your heart. He knows what you are really thinking when you do kindness. He knows how you are really feeling when you do kindness. And if we are connected with our Father, we will know that he knows and we’ll know we are seen.
Here’s the kicker in all of this. If in our hearts we are doing kindness so men will see, we’ll get exactly what we want outwardly, but we won’t get what we want inwardly. Leaving us with an unfilled hole. Inwardly, we won’t feel satisfied. No matter how much another human recognizes our kindness, it won’t feel rewarding. We’ll keep doing kindness and doing kindness and wanting more rewards and more rewards, and feeling more and more empty. It’s a drug habit leading to death.
Once we give up wanting man’s recognition, we’ll get what we are looking for. Jesus says, if we do kindness in secret, not caring if any human sees it or recognizes it, our Father … he will see and reward us. Wait, there really isn’t a period there. In the NIV, it’s he will reward you – period. In KJV, it’s he will reward you openly. That seems like a significant difference doesn’t it?
There is another word there, and it means openly, make known, outwardly, appear. So do you see it? Our Father will openly, make known, outwardly, appear to reward us.
Do you feel like others around you get all the notice? Like everything they do it seems like people make a big deal out of it? But no one notices what you do? Time to check your heart there buddy. You might be getting the same thing they get, but you don’t feel like it. Why? Because your rewards are coming from humans, out of the hearts of humans. They are not sinking into you inwardly. They aren’t filling that hole. They will leave you wanting more.
But when the kindness comes from a good heart, you will know your Father sees and he will reward you, your hole will be filled. You will be satisfied. You will be rewarded. Some of that reward may even come from humans. And what you thought you weren’t getting before, you will see you have been getting all along.
Oh boy!
Following a topic through the entire bible provides for some pondering. Today let’s look at the words typically translated as sign or mark.
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13)
You shall bind them (statutes, judgments, and commands of YHWH/God) as a sign (mark, signal, proof, evidence) on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. (Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:16, Deuteronomy 6:8 and Deuteronomy 11:18)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. … The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31)
“Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” (Ezekiel 9:6)
“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed (marked) the servants of our God on their foreheads” (Revelation 7:3)
They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, but only those men who do not have the seal (mark) of God on their foreheads (Revelation 9:4).
All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands (the testimony) and decrees he gave you. They (curses) will be a sign (mark) and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. (Deuteronomy 28:45-46)
“You shall have no other gods before me. … You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments (the testimony).: (Exodus 20)
It (the second beast) exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast … It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, (Revelation 13:16-17)
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. (Revelation 14:9-10)
I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)
Jesus said:
“If you love me, keep my commands(the testimony). And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:15-21)
Which Mits-vah (directive or guidance) is the main object or root in Torah (teachings)?
That was the question a scribe, or lawyer, asked Jesus as recorded in Mark and Matthew. (Click link for all scriptures used in this article).
First thing we have to get over before looking at His answer is the word ‘command’. At that time, when they heard the word mits-vah it did not carry the same as it does when we hear the word command. To them, this would have been more like the white lines on a road than the speed limit sign. If you cross the white lines to avoid something, you most likely will not get a ticket. You may, however, encounter plenty of natural consequences. But if you cross the line because of careless driving or you cross the speed on the speed limit sign (driving lawlessly) in front of law enforcement officer, you will receive a ticket. Whoa! Side thought: Every stop to wonder why we are so much more comfortable with and in general easily following laws “of our land” set a long time ago and yet are uncomfortable and struggle against keeping those set by YHWH/God? Something to ponder.
Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” and “If you love me you will keep my mitsvah.” Because he is the WAY, and the TRUTH, and the LIFE, you would understand it is in your best interest to follow his directives, guidance, and recommended way of living. Jesus is not like our navigation systems which allow you to choose the route and ‘recalculates’ a new one for you when you decided to deviate from the best route initially set before you.
It is good to follow the mitzvot/commandments and it is bad not too. Just as it was good not to eat the forbidden fruit and it was bad to eat it. We have the same choice. We can either choose to follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life as provided by YHWH/God or not. If YHWH/God is the King who reigns over the Kingdom you live in, you would WANT to follow his rules. Otherwise, you will essentially be living somewhere else. You have full free will to choose what kingdom you want to live in, Heaven or Hell, but you do not have the right to determine what is good and bad in the Kingdom of Heaven, where God Reigns.
The second thing we have to get over is the word ‘law’. The Hebrew word is Torah which specifically refers to the five books of Moses. We know these as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers. Almost all the time, even in the New Testament, when we see the translated word Law, it is the word Torah and does not refer to anything written in the New Testament.
The scribe/lawyer is not asking Jesus, of everything that you have taught what is the greatest. He is specifically asking out of everything in these five books, what is the g’dolah or root.
The third thing we have to get over is the idea that Jesus is giving two new commandments and all the rest are done away with. He is very specific in stating, “All the Torah and the prophets hang on these two mitzvot.” The word hang means based on, thus he has answer the question about what is the root. These two are the root and all the others found in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers grow up out of those.
This is in many ways a picture of the Tree of Life. You can choose the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge of Tov/Good and Ra/Bad. You can decide the best way to go about living or you can let YHWH/God give you guidance. And His ways do not have to make sense to you, you just have to follow what he says.
When Jesus says, “You must love your Elohim with all your heart and with all your nephesh and out of all your understanding,” He is purposefully bringing to mind several passages for the Jewish people standing around.
Let me give you an example of what Jesus was doing with what he said. Most Christians are familiar with the saying of the mark of the beast – it’s every where right now. And everyone knows it will be a mark/sign on the hand and/or on the forehead. So if I said to you, “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads,” I can almost guarantee the largest percentage of the Christians who hear it will call to mind the statement about the mark of the beast from Revelation. HOWEVER, if this same thing was said to a Jewish believer, they would be brought right to Deuteronomy 6 and THIS is what would be called to mind:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a]5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6 NIV emphasis added
Which would in turn bring them right back to the Exodus and the Passover:
14 “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
Exodus 13 NIV emphasis added
Wouldn’t these passages be so much better to recall than the mark of the beast passage? Later, check out Revelation 7:3 – very interesting.?
Jesus is directly quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5. This particular passage is part of the Shema, which every good Jew would have recited daily as his declaration of faith. This would have also brought to mind the entire Exodus and all it entailed.
It would have brought to mind Deuteronomy 10:12 and the entire scene of them receiving the tables of stones – which YHWH/God called ‘The Testimony’ or the ‘The Witness’ which we now call the ‘Ten Commandments.’
He would have brought to mind Deuteronomy 30:6 when he told them he had set all these mitzvah before them, blessings and curses – you choose.
He would have brought to mind Joshua 22:5 when they first entered the promise land. It might even bring to mind Joshua 24:15 which MANY Christians have hanging on the wall of their houses – it was the time when Joshua reminds them of what YHWH had done for them and why they should keep the mitzvot (commandments) and he lead them by making declaration of his choice for his household. Following this, he made a covenant. I can’t help wonder, does it mean the same thing to us as it did to Joshua as we hang it on our walls? Are we really ready to make the declaration he made in v24-26? Or do we take it out of context because it’s a catchy phrase? Hmm, something more to ponder.
And it would have brought to mind Josiah from 2 Kings 22-23 – Josiah is arguably the greatest earthly King there ever was. Some say David was, but Josiah did not make the mistakes David did. What Josiah did in his time may be a good thing to do in our time. He was a beloved King, by both man and YHWH.
Moses received the law in around 1313 BC. Over 855 years later, after many very evil and wicked Kings, along comes Josiah, he brings back the Torah and the Feasts. And this is what YHWH/God/Adonai said:
18‘Thus says Adonai, God of Israel. As for the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was softened and you humbled yourself before Adonai when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants—that they should become a desolation and a curse—and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,’ declares Adonai. 20 ‘Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you will be gathered to your grave in shalom. So your eyes will not see all the disaster I am bringing on this place.’”
2 Kings 22 TLV
3Then the king stood by the pillar and cut a covenant before Adonai, to follow Adonai, keep His mitzvot, His laws and His decrees with all their heart and soul, in order to fulfill the words of this covenant that were written in this scroll. So all the people stood for the covenant.
2 Kings 23 TLV – scenes similar to the one at Mt. Sinai and the night YHWH took them out of Egypt.
21 Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to Adonai your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 For no Passover like this had been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel or in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed for Adonai in Jerusalem.
25 Before him there had never been a king like him, who turned to Adonai with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Torah of Moses, nor has any king like him risen since him.
2 Kings 23 TLV
Which Mits-vah (directive or guidance) is the main object or root in Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers)?
Yeshua answered,
Then the scribe/lawyer replied:
“Rabbi, it is a great truth, that there is none besides one Eloah, and there is none other except him – 33 he whom a man is obligated to love with all the heart and with all the nephesh, and with all the strength – also to love his fellow as himself – and this is greater than all the human offerings.” (burnt offerings and sacrifices)
Mark 12 Hebrew Gospels
And when Jesus heard that, he answered
with wisdom, he told him that he was not far from the kingdom of YHWH / Kingdom of God / Kingdom of Heaven / Where God Reigns
In Matthew 5, when Jesus says things like:
“not come to abolish the law and the Prophets,” “will [not] by any means disappear from the law,” “anyone who sets aside one of [the law] and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven,” “whoever practices and teaches … great in the kingdom of heaven.”
What is he referring to? What is “the law,” or the “the commands” to him? Nothing in the New Testament had been written yet, so we can’t find the answer there.
And when modern day Christianity says, “We are no longer under the law because we are under grace,” how does that fit with what Jesus said?
One of the main reasons given for this is, “we can no longer keep the law.” How does that fit with what Jesus said about who is least and greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Before we take a deeper dive in to Matthew 5, we are looking at a few things:
Once we establish the answer to those questions, we’ll begin a deeper dive into Matthew 5 because it is one of the longest teachings of Jesus we have on record. And if we profess to follow him, shouldn’t we hang on every word he spoke?
Come along and join us stating with
YouTub: Grace vs Law Playlist
Rumble: First video in the series
Today we are going to take a look at the Tabernacle Priest, the Set-Apart Ones and what they can show us in regards to the walk of a Christian and our relationship with YHWH/God.
There are so many debates about what is in or not in the Bible as well as the interpretation of different scriptures. Let’s take a Cease Fire moment to deepen understanding, and seek knowledge.
Thank you for joining us in this Cease Fire moment today we are going to take a look at the Tabernacle People and what they can show us in regards to the walk of a Christian and our relationship with YHWH/God.
By looking at the people, the way the camp and the tabernacle were set up, we can see God’s path to a relationship with him. It starts with Jesus, but Jesus is not the destination, he is the way to the destination.
The set up of the Tabernacle can show us just how close or far away we are in our relationship with God.
So where are you are in your walk?
Be sure to listen for the “read between the lines” hyperlinks to other scriptures in the Bible. This video is packed full of them. Open your eyes to see and your ears to hear.
Click on the areas of the Tabernacle to view more information about the sections. The Wilderness is outside the Tabernacle. The Reign of God is also outside the Tabernacle, more frequently referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven. And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, that they take up a […]
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What if the “Ten Commandments” weren’t called that and they were called “The Testimony” instead?
And what if the “Mercy Seat” wasn’t call that and it was called the “Seat of the Atonement?”
And the Ark of the Covenant was called “Ark of the Testimony”?
Would that paint a different picture for you?
Well, they are in fact called The Testimony, the Seat of Atonement, and The Ark of the Testimony.
“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;”
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