Shabbat Shalom all,

Luqas/Luke 9:57 “And it came to be, as they journeyed on the way, that someone said to Him, “Master, I shall follow You wherever You go.”

As we enter into the 29^th of the 12^th month and possibly the last day for this year (should we sight the moon at the end of this Sabbath), we are with great excitement looking forward to beginning a new cycle and celebrating the head of the year as well as the Feasts of Pěsaḥ and Matzot in a couple of weeks. As we consider our need to keep the Sabbaths and Feasts of יהוה, we must take heed to ensuring that we are continually dressed in the righteousness of guarding to do all our Master has commanded us to. We are called to be a daily living offering, and that takes a proper daily assessment, as we look intently into the mirror of the Word and not forget what we look like. Having said that we take note that many people often take more time to sit and evaluate their lives at an end or beginning of a period of time or cycle, and constructively evaluate where they are at and assess if their lives are being lived out as they ought to be. Tonight I want to challenge each and every one of you to consider your ways and determine the state of your called for walk of set-apartness in the Master, or lack thereof, especially in light of us approaching the Feast where we sit at the table of the Master and partake in His body and blood that He prepared for us, so that we can be grafted into His Covenants of promise that we were once far off from! There are many today who may claim to ‘know’ The Master and Elohim of our deliverance, and even claim to stay in Him, yet they do not guard His commands nor do they walk as He walked! Crowds of people followed the Master when He walked here on earth, yet few actually followed Him as true servants and students of the Good Shepherd! We too must take assessment of our lives and honestly determine whether we are of the remnant few who are making themselves ready in complete set-apartness or whether we are moving along with the indecisive and compromising crowds. In a message tonight called, “A FAN IN THE CROWD OR A FOLLOWER ON THE FIELD?”, I would like us to take careful heed of our Master’s words and be strengthened, encouraged and equipped to be a true follower on the field and not just another fan in the crowd! Please turn with me to Luqas/Luke 14:15-35 (Read).

After יהושע had gone into a house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, He healed a man that was suffering from dropsy, and then proceeded to speak a parable to those who had been invited, when He noticed how they chose the best places. He taught a clear lesson on humility and to be on guard against thinking more highly of oneself as you should! He teaches them to consider others above themselves. This Sha’ul teaches us too in:

Pilipiyim/Philippians 2:3-4 “doing none at all through selfishness or self-conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4  Each one should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

After having addressed a clear lesson on pride, we come to the section we have just read for tonight, where one of those who sat at the table said to יהושע, “Blessed is he who eats bread in the reign of Elohim!”

There are many today that just assume that they will be eating bread in the reign of Elohim, and make a prideful boast of the fact that they are better than others, while they may just be in for a huge shock and be told that the Master never knew them and they will be thrown out for not being dressed in righteousness and humility, as faithful servants!

Messiah then proceeds with a number of illustrations that teach us our need to continually assess whether we are true followers that will be brought into the Reign of Elohim, or whether we are a part of the large crowds that make a lot of noise with their lips while their hearts are far from our Mighty Master, Elohim, Redeemer and King!

From verse 16-24 יהושע gives us a very sobering parable of a great supper that had been prepared and the call given to come, for all was ready! This parable is a clear lesson on hearing the clear call to come to the Master’s Table and do so with urgency as we clothe ourselves in the Righteousness that He has given us through His Blood, and guard ourselves to keep our garments clean, pure and undefiled as we guard His clear Torah and commands for set-apart living! As we consider the Pěsaḥ Meal that we will be keeping in a couple of weeks we must certainly take time to assess if we are truly living set-apart lives as we should, lest we find that when the Great Wedding Feast takes place at Sukkot we are thrown out for not being dressed as we should. One cannot gain entrance into the Sukkot Wedding Feast without having partaken of the Table of the Master at Pěsaḥ/Passover! The invitation to enter in and take our place in the Master has been given! The “Supper has been made ready”, and the invitation has gone out! While we may recognise this, what we also take careful note of here is that, just as according to the Master’s parable, this is when the excuses begin!!!

All has been made ready for us to enter in and partake of the Kingdom of our Master, as we are called to faithfully sojourn here and ambassadors of His coming Reign.

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 9:1-2 “Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out its seven columns, 2 She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also prepared her table.”

Shelomoh gives us here a clear parable of how Messiah, through the full proclamation of the Torah and the prophets, has hewn out the Appointed Times of Elohim and has made His Table ready for all who respond correctly to come and partake of Him – for His table has been prepared. With the table of the Master having been prepared, we must take note that this does not bring in a nullification or destruction of His Torah, but rather fully proclaims it and any excuse given to not do so will result in expulsion and death!

When all has been prepared the excuses begin, and here Messiah gives us 3 examples of typical excuses many have.

Excuse No.1: “I have bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.”

Excuse No.2: “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. I ask you to have me excused.”

Excuse No.3: “I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.”

What you may notice here is that with the first two excuses, the ones who made them asked to be excused, while the third one simply said that he is unable to come, without asking to be excused! I find this very interesting as we recognise the three primary reasons for so many excuses: 1) possession or wealth, 2) work and 3) family. It is primarily under these three main categories that most, if not all, excuses for hearing, guarding and doing the Torah and commands of Elohim fall into, and while we recognise the asking to be excused when using ‘work’ or ‘possessions’ as an excuse, we also take note that a clear ‘I am unable to come’ being given when it comes to ‘close family’ being the excuse!!!

We often find that work and possessions, or the pursuit thereof, cause many to find quick excuses for the called for set-apartness that is given through the Word of Elohim! All have been invited yet most will give excuses, and even justify their excuses under a banner of man-made traditions and theologies that promote lawlessness! Messiah warns us in Luqas/Luke 12:15 to beware of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the excess of his possessions! Sha’ul told Timotiyos in:

Timotiyos Aleph/1 Timothy 6:9-11 “But those wishing to be rich fall into trial and a snare, and into many foolish and injurious lusts which plunge men in ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some, by longing for it, have strayed from the belief, and pierced themselves through with many pains. 11 But you, O man of Elohim, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, reverence, belief, love, endurance, meekness.”

We are also told in:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor that which is in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 Because all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but the one doing the desire of Elohim remains forever.”

Possessions and wealth and the pursuit thereof can often be a huge stumbling block for many who have not learnt to be content in all circumstances and lack proper reverence as a result, causing them to make vain excuses as to why they cannot do what the Word clearly instructs and calls for!

The third excuse of not being able to come because of family is one that is given by so many, and the fact that the one making this excuse does not even ask to be excused reveals to me a state of cowardice and position of defeat, as many lack the courage and strength to stand up for the Truth in their own homes!

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 7:33 “But he who is married is concerned about the matters of the world – how to please his wife.”

While pleasing one’s wife is certainly necessary and critical to the success of any marriage, what we must take note of here is that Sha’ul is highlighting to us how some may neglect the need to please Elohim, as they do not want to offend their spouse, or loved ones. Sha’ul in not teaching against marriage, for we know that any marriage should reflect the clear picture of Messiah and His Bride, yet what he is teaching us is that we are to attend to the Master without distractions, and it is often the case that the closest loved one’s can cause the biggest distractions, especially if they are not serving the Master! In Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 20:4-8 we are given clear instructions in regards to those who may cause distractions on the battlefield. We are clearly told that it is יהוה our Elohim who goes with us, to fight for us against our enemies and saves us. Then it is instructed that the one who has a new house or new vineyard or a new wife, is exempt from going to battle, in case he should die and never get to dedicate his house, use his vineyard or have a family. It then goes on to say that if any man is afraid or tender of heart that he should not go into battle lest he causes others to become faint like his.

Why am I linking this up to this text in Luqas/Luke 14 with the parable of our Master? Well it is clear – Messiah is the One who fights for us, and He has defeated death and the grave and calls us all to count the cost and have no excuse to not hear the call to come out and be separate and fight the good fight of the belief/faith!

What each of these 3 men symbolize for us as having in common is that they all have unfinished business at home and are unable to give their all on the battlefield! Being preoccupied with self disqualifies one from being fit and able to serve in the army of Elohim!!! Those who do not go to war will not taste the victory, and here in Luqas/Luke 14 יהושע carries on teaching us various aspects of dropping the excuses and counting the cost, as He teaches us that those who neglect prioritising the Kingdom of Elohim in their lives for the sake of their own desires are like those who put their hand to the plough and look back – they are not fit for the Kingdom and will therefore have not entrance into it!

The principle here is simply this – if your heart is not in it – don’t go to fight! This does not excuse away the need for us to get our hearts in it, but too many today are trying to face their battles with a half-hearted approach at serving יהוה, and this is not true service and worship, and you risk getting severely punished for causing others to stumble due to your compromise. Crowds will make a big noise yet lack the ability to follow 100%.

In Verse 25 we are told that large crowds were going with Him! The Greek words used here for ‘going with’ is συμπορεύομαι sumporeuomai – Strong’s G4848 which means, ‘travelling, journey together, going along’. This word is used only 4 times in the Renewed Writings and primarily gives reference to large crowds that go along, as opposed to those who truly ‘follow’!!!

In the verse I started with tonight, from Luqas/Luke 9:57 where someone said to the Master, “I will follow you wherever you go!”, we take note that the word for ‘follow’ is not the same word used to describe the crowds who were going with Him.

The Greek word translated as ‘follow’ in Luqas/Luke 9:57 is ἀκολουθέω akoloutheō – Strong’s G190 and comes from: Α, α alpha – Strong’s G1 which is the first letter of the Greek language and is used here as a participle of union, along with the word κέλευθος keleuthos – which means, ‘a road, or way’ and therefore this word ἀκολουθέω akoloutheō expresses the intention to ‘follow closely or going behind someone who leads the way’ or ‘to attend, to accompany, to go with or follow a teacher’.

The equivalent expression in Hebrew for ‘and I will follow you’ is  – וְאֵלְכָה אַחֲרֶיךָ – ‘v’elḵa  aḥarey’ḵa’ – which we find in the words Elisha said to Ěliyahu in Melaḵim Aleph/1 Kings 19:20 and comes from two root words: 1) הָלַךְ  halaḵ – Strong’s H1980 meaning, ‘to walk, to go, to live, manner of life, cause to live’ and literally speaks of how one lives. It is used as a verb indicating that it is an active expression of one’s life. This verb is written in the ‘qal active’ tense and therefore renders the meaning, ‘to go, to walk, come, proceed, depart, move, go away, to die, live, manner of life (figuratively)’, and 2) אַחַר aḥar – Strong’s H310 meaning, ‘the hind part, following part, after, afterwards, behind, following’. Therefore we take note that in the Hebraic mind-set – to say that you will follow declares that you will live and walk as the one you are following, and do as they do. To follow Messiah is not for those who just want to go for a stroll to see what happens – it is a commitment to walk and live, even as He walked and lived!

You cannot follow the Master if you are not girded about with truth and have not put on righteousness, as you will be unable to walk as He walked!

Messiah lays forth some very clear conditions when He states that anyone who comes to Him and does not consider and follow His clear instructions will be unable to be His taught one! To ‘come’ to the Master’s call and invitation to set-apartness comes with a clear call to hear, guard and do all He commands us to! The Greek word used for ‘comes’ is ἔρχομαι erchomai – Strong’s G2064 which means, ‘to come, go, arrive, brought’, which is also used in:

Ḥazon /Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And he who hears, let him say, “Come!” And he who thirsts, come! And he who desires it, take the water of life without paying!”

Being used 3 times in this verse highlights the clear picture for us of those who are able to enter into the reign of the new heavens and earth, where no unrighteous will be allowed. It is obedient faith that gets one to be able to respond clearly to the call to ‘come’ to the Master and follow Him completely!

Ḥazon/Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.”

Understanding this we take note of the Master’s clear words that show us what true coming to Him and following Him entails, as He makes it clear that those who come to Him and do not hate their father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters and even their own life too are unable to be His taught one! This may sound harsh when reading a parable without proper understanding, yet as we listen attentively to the master we learn the clear importance that is being made here in separating true followers on the field of life versus the fans in the crowd who will wander along for the ride as long as it suites them!

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 13:6-8 “When your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own being, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other mighty ones’– which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, 7 of the mighty ones of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth – 8 do not agree with him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pardon him, nor spare him or conceal him”

Families often have the strongest effect in enticing many away from walking in complete set-apartness and we must take heed to be on guard against this, and realise that this may indeed cause division in the home!

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 33:9 “who said of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them.’ And he did not acknowledge his brothers, or know his own children, for they have guarded Your Word and watched over Your covenant.”

This verse is part of the prophesy over Lĕwi and may sound harsh and negative, yet it refers to the fact that the High Priest and priests who were in service could not even bury their own family, and reminds us how Lĕwi were the ones who stood up for the truth amidst the rebellion in the Wilderness and put to death their brothers who rebelled, highlighting for us the clear truth that when in service as a royal priesthood, יהוה comes first – and this separates the fan from the follower!

The crowds, or fans as I like to call them, will always be around for the excitement and all the seemingly fun stuff, yet will quickly run from any responsibility or accountability to do what is required and will shrug off any work to be done by using vain excuses. When we think of crowds or fans we can often liken them to fans of a sports team or of a music band etc. and what we learn from the nature of fans, who may have the appearance of being devoted to that which they claim to follow, is that they will definitely encourage in the good times and when all is on the rise, yet will also be quick to resort to being the biggest critics in tough times. Fans seek to be entertained and ‘get their monies worth’, so to speak, rather than seeking an opportunity to serve and give their all no matter the cost! The crowds who were going with Messiah were not all true followers! At this point I ask you… “How is your life and walk of set-apartness going?”

Do you find that you often follow as a member of a crowd out of a sense of compulsion or duty, or do you earnestly follow the Master – to do as He commands?

In the passage we read from Luqas/Luke 14 we are able to see two separate stories or parables that actually blend nicely into 1. First we see the picture of how the supper is ready – The Pěsaḥ meal has been made ready!

In fact it was made ready around 2000 years ago, and all have been invited. Messiah made it clear to us that unless we eat of Him we shall have no part in Him! His invitation has gone out and the requirements are clear – we are to be dressed in righteousness, guarding the commands and Torah of Elohim! Fans (the crowds) may often dress up, so to speak, and put on an outward show of a resemblance of the real yet they are simply fans who are unable to get on the field and do what is required! True followers are picked out of the crowd because they earnestly hear the call to come out and be separate and are constantly seeking to please the Master in every way by submitting to and obeying His Torah without compromise! Crowds will try to ‘buy their appearance’ through the traditions that they are compelled to be led by, yet never want to actually do what is required in order to become a part of the chosen and royal priesthood that serves in the field with joy and uncompromised set-apartness!

יהושע is not looking for fans, He is calling for true followers who will stay in Him and walk, even as He walked! It is easy to be a fan or a part of the crowd, or rather it is made to appear to be, yet they are going absolutely nowhere, and in fact it is easier to be a true follower as we take up the easy yoke of Messiah and walk in His Torah, not being weighed down and burdened by false traditions and twisted dogmas of man. Following takes commitment, while being a fan requires one to be constantly putting on a show! Fans are here today and gone tomorrow. Many claim to be followers yet are not, as they prove that they are merely one of the crowd that renders excuse after excuse as to why they cannot and will not do what is clearly commanded in the Word!

Crowds and crowd pleasers cannot be true followers – they are unable to be true taught ones of the Master!

The term translated in from the Greek as ‘unable’ comes from two words: 1) οὐ  – ‘ou’ – Strong’s G3756 and δύναμαι  – ‘dunamai’ – Strong’s G1410. οὐ  – ‘ou’ is an adverb that simply means ‘no’ or ‘not’ and 2) δύναμαι  – ‘dunamai’ Strong’s G1410 which means, ‘to have the capacity or ability, to be capable or have the power to’. So this compound word ‘unable’, from the Greek ‘οὐ δύναμαι’ – ‘ou dunamai’, simply means, ‘to have no capacity to do or no ability to do’.

Therefore those who do not give יהושע there full commitment do not have the capacity, power or ability to be followers of Messiah. In other words what יהושע is saying is that in order to be able to be one of His followers or talmidim (disciples) involves a standard that is no less than total devotion, supreme commitment and absolute surrender to Him and His will.

So what יהושע was doing here was warning the multitudes that were trying to follow Him that they need to understand the level of commitment that is required to be a true follower or disciple instead of being a fan.

יהושע used several illustration to make this very clear and in this passage He gives us five word pictures, snapshots or images if you will of what the cost true disciple entails:

IMAGE 1 – FAMILY (26) – He says that if you come to Him and do not ‘hate’ your family then you are unable to be His taught one! The Greek word used here for ‘hate’ is μισέω miseō – Strong’s G3404 which means, ‘hate, hatred’ and is seen as the opposite of having the ability ‘to love’ or ‘to be a friend’ and is the equivalent of not loving or to “love less”!  What יהושע is doing here is contrasting love to family with love to Himself. He is asserting His position as Master and Elohim here. Family members are all human beings and the love we show to them compared to the love we show for Messiah, Elohim in the flesh, must be so different, that the love for family will seem like hatred. The meaning of the word μισέω miseō is made clear in:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

If there is in any way a form of compromising a walk of total obedience to His Torah for the sake of family, then one is unable to be His taught one! There are sadly so many today who are unwilling to stand up for the Truth and therefore compromise to ‘keep the peace’ so to speak and this simply shows that they are unable to be ‘counted’ as being a fighting fit follower of Messiah!

IMAGE 2 – THE STAKE (27) – It may seem harsh when we begin to understand the words of our Master – He first says that unless we ‘hate’ our family and then says ‘unless we bear our stake…’! Walking in Messiah and following Him through a diligent obedience to His Torah is not for the faint hearted. We cannot just “love” Him in the erroneous way that they church teaches as being a ‘lawless love’ in order to follow Him; we must also ‘bear our stake’. And here the picture is typically to live like a dead person. For whenever someone was seen carrying a stake through the streets, everyone knew that persons fate – a horrible form of execution – it meant death! Although you were walking you were dead! And a real follower of יהושע is one who ‘bears his stake’. Sha’ul understood this very well and teaches us in:

Galatiyim/Galatians 2:20 “I have been impaled with Messiah, and I no longer live, but Messiah lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh I live by belief in the Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Galatiyim/Galatians 5:24 “And those who are of Messiah have impaled the flesh with its passions and the desires.”

What Sha’ul was saying is that there was nothing that this world had to offer that was of any interest to him.

Is the world and what it has to offer dead to you? Or do you find yourself laying down your stake and running to the pleasures, passions and lusts of the world?

Do the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke out your ability to bear your stake? To walk as a true follower of יהושע Messiah means to be dead to the world! Don’t hold on to stuff that has no value.

One of the major problems with Yisra’ĕl in the wilderness was their inability to put to death the need to follow the carnal nature and so they fell into the abominable and perverted worship of Ba‘al, and the time came to count who had really committed themselves to walk in the Truth as the Promised Land lay right ahead for them, and those who were counted would be led by Yehoshua – a great shadow picture of those who have counted the cost and follow Messiah!

IMAGE 3 – TOWER (28-30) – Here יהושע gives a picture of a man who plans to build a tower, and before he starts he must count the cost to see if he has enough to get the job done. When we become followers of יהושע we may even ask, “Do I have what it takes to finish?” And typically the answer is always no! But it is not our resources that are necessary, for Elohim provides all we need. What יהושע is talking about here is total commitment – an enduring persevering heart – not giving up when the times get bad and the going gets rough.

Do not be one who gives up on following wholeheartedly after יהושע; for if you do others will then look on and say that you began but couldn’t finish it or follow through. Let me tell you that a true follower of יהושע does not shrink back and get destroyed, even when setbacks come, but a true follower is one who believes and is saved, one who lives by faith with works (Torah observance), even when it is rough and the chips are down! Often people are committed, but only for a while then through various reasons they drift away and walk away from following the Truth and walk away from יהוה. Do not be one of those. Are you willing to pay the price for true discipleship?

IMAGE 4 – A WAR (31-33) – The idea here is that of surrender – and how we need to surrender our lives to the leading and headship of Messiah, the King of Peace. Here the message is very clear – you cannot be a follower of יהושע if you are not willing to give up control, and for most people that is hard to do. יהוה is way stronger and mightier than we are and we need to make peace with Him and surrender to live in freedom. Most of the time people simply just don’t want to give up control. How many of you struggle to give control over to יהוה?

It takes humility to bow down and ask for terms of peace when there is a war raging in our lives. You cannot be a disciple of Messiah if you do not give complete control to יהוה.

IMAGE 5 – SALT (34-35) – The image and idea given here is to remain pure – to stay pure. Salt was a valuable commodity in Scriptural times, and often Roman soldiers would even be paid, at least in part, with salt rations. There is a phrase that we often hear when someone doesn’t do a good job or their work is mediocre and substandard: “He is not worth his salt”. We also know that salt was to be brought with every offering. Salt is also a cleansing and healing agent; and it renders the slaughtered animal unsusceptible to outside influences, reminding us that the absolute Covenant of יהוה is not to be altered. Salt can be ground up finer and finer, yet is still always salt. In fact, the Hebrew word for salt מֶלַח melaḥ – Strong’s H4417 comes from the word that means ‘to rub together, pulverise’. Salt cannot be destroyed by heat or water, but can be destroyed by another chemical agent. There is no safety net if salt loses its savour; there is nothing we can add to salt to make it salty again.

Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how shall it be seasoned? For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and to be trodden down by men.”

What יהושע was saying here was that if you mix in a chemical substance, such as false teachings and traditions of men to the pure Covenant of יהוה, then you may become tasteless and be thrown out and trodden down!!!

So how can salt lose its taste? The metaphoric picture here teaches us that we can become tasteless by sitting idle for long periods and not doing what is required or by adding foreign chemicals in the mix. The context for יהושע‘s calling us ‘the salt of the earth’ was persecution.

Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because theirs is the reign of the heavens.”

 If we undergo His grinding up, we must put what it teaches us into practice right away, or its purpose will be lost and we may just get pulverised!!! 

As we consider these very stern words of our Master, I ask you, “how are you doing today?” Have you found yourself making various excuses, be it due to fleshly desires that rage within, or the deceit of wealth and possession, or due to the influence of family and friends? Have you actually found, when looking in to the clear mirror of the Word, that you have been more of a fan than a true follower? Being a fan when it suites you and when you can ‘afford it’, yet when things get rough and the test of true commitment comes you fade into the crowds and sit with many in the valley of decision?

Or have you truly counted the cost, and continue to do so day after day, sold our completely to our Master who gave His all for us and bought us at a price and respond perfectly to the call of Him who has made His supper ready? Do you give your all – in good times and in tough times, as a true follower should, or are there traces of you being revealed or shown up as being a fan rather than a follower?

Crowds fizzle out when the excitement and the wow factor fade, yet true followers never leave the set-apart way of our Master – for He is the Way!

We must be reminded how the 70 He sent out left Him very quickly when confronted with the deeper truth and revelation of the need to be completely and courageously committed! Out of the 12 that followed Him, 1 betrayed Him by going with the religious crowd who had turned against the Master. Fans or crowds do not last whereas true followers on the field endure and press on. Which are you? Do you honestly put יהוה first all the time and in all things, or have you found that fields, work, possessions, wealth and family often calls for your focus to shift away from having your eyes fixed on our Master and find that you lack proper judgement and discernment as excuses after excuse is being produced from your life instead of the good fruit of righteousness that should be brought forth in abundance!

Crowds will mix with other crowds and be easily influenced by the masses and the very broad way that leads to destructions and death, while true followers stay committed and true to their calling and choosing in the Master!

On the field (which is the world) there are rules, as in any game that is played, and crowds or fans do not follow the rules, nor do they want to. What they love to do is criticise every rule and move that a true follower makes on the field, thinking they know it all, while we know that it is only through proper application of the rules that a proper understanding of the rules becomes clear and obvious, while being scoffed at by foolish crowds and fans who position themselves on the side-lines of the broad destructive way that will quickly trample the innocent down during a riot against the truth!

True followers stick to the rules and do not despise the Master and His Torah when disciplined!

Our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah, came into this world to show us how to live in the field and live according to His clear Kingdom rules, and we as faithful ambassadors are to proclaim His coming reign in a field where there are many crowds and fans that are on the side-lines of this field, being influenced by lawlessness and the works thereof.

A FAN IN THE CROWD OR A FOLLOWER ON THE FIELD?

You know what you have called to be – what are you? Let your choice be made clear in the life you live – either seeking to please the Master in every way or falling in with the masses who are veiled from the Truth!

He who has ears, hear what the Spirit is saying to His Bride at this time – be a true follower in the field and be on guard against complacency, compromise and vain excuses that will only render one as a fan in the crowd!

A FAN IN THE CROWD OR A FOLLOWER ON THE FIELD?

Perhaps the mirror of the Word has revealed moments of being classed with the fans when you may have thought to be a follower in the field. Hear the clear invitation to set-apartness and make the right choice each and every day, and run with fervency and do not shrink back – fight the good fight and stand firm in our Master as a true follower on the field.

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom all,

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those loving it eat its fruit.”

This verse makes it clear to us that death and life and in the power of the tongue – in other words, the very words we speak are of vital importance. How often do you find yourself so easily saying one thing and yet doing another? How often do you recollect on the promises you have made to keep and yet have found that you have simply forgotten you even made them? In a message called, “THE WORDS WE SPEAK”, I want us all to be reminded about how important the very words that come from our lips are! For it is out of the overflow of our hearts that we speak – and often a true indication of what is going on in a person’s heart is reflected in their words, and how their actions either line up with their words or not.  Please turn with me to Shophetim/Judges 11 (Read).

This is the story of Yiphtaḥ the Gilʽaḏite. Now Yiphtaḥ was someone from which we can learn some great lessons and as we can see from this chapter it starts off by telling us that he was a might brave warrior.

Yiphtaḥ is one of those mentioned in Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 11 in the ‘faith hall of fame’, but what is it about him that got him mentioned?

First up we are not only told that he was mighty or brave, but that he was also a son of a whore – how is that for a nice description! Possibly not something he would want to be remembered by, although he certainly did not have control over who his parents were. He was born out of an adulterous relationship and was rejected by his half brothers who told him he had no part in the family inheritance, which caused him to flee from his brothers and hook up with some other worthless men.

Yisra’ĕl was under threat from the Ammonites and Yisra’ĕl, as a result of their circumstances through disobedience, were crying out to יהוה who told them to go and cry out to the mighty ones they had chosen in their disobedience and let them save them in their time of distress. Yisra’ĕl continued to cry out and יהוה was grieved. Yisra’ĕl needed a strong leader to lead them and said that whoever would go and fight first would become their head. Now the elders of Yisra’ĕl went to call the very one that had been rejected. Yiphtaḥ was the first born, and although born out of an adulterous relationship, he was still the firstborn and according to Torah was to receive a double portion of his father’s inheritance. His brothers had rejected him and twisted the Torah by telling him he had no inheritance, and so now after having been rejected by his own, when the elders asked him to come back and help, he confirmed with them that if he did lead them that he would be made head over all in Gil’aḏ. In other words he was making sure his inheritance as firstborn would be restored. Just think how his half brothers must have felt – the man they had rejected and renounced was returning home to be their captain and leader of the land. Pretty similar to the account of Yosĕph who was also rejected by his brothers to only later be the one who would bring about their deliverance in the famine of the time. It took Dawiḏ 7 years to gain the full support of the 12 tribes of Yisra’ĕl. All of these events are wonderful foreshadows of Messiah יהושע, who too was despised and rejected by men, by His very own and  became the Saviour and is King of the armies of יהוה, that will come again and defeat the enemies of יהוה .

Yiphtaḥ took up the role as judge and leader and we can see some great qualities that he displayed in his leadership. He was not just a hot headed guy who wanted to look for a fight – he first sought to resolve the issues, and we can see from this passage that he knew the Torah and the history of Yisra’ĕl.

The king of Ammon declared that he only wanted back what Yisra’ĕl had, under Mosheh’s’ leadership, stolen from them. And in response to the king of Ammon, Yiphtaḥ presented four arguments to show and prove that the Ammonites were wrong:

1 – He presented the facts of history: (verses 14-22)

You cannot deny facts – when we present the truth that the Catholic Church changed a whole lot by adding and taking away from the Word – you simply cannot deny that through the facts of history – we have been lied to!

He reminds the Ammonites that Mosheh and the leaders of Yisra’ĕl had asked for a safe passage through their territory, which was refused, and this led to war where יהוה gave Yisra’ĕl the victory. Yisra’ĕl didn’t steal any land, they had captured it, and besides that, the Amorites had taken the land from the Moaḇites! So their claim that the land was theirs was invalid. Yiphtaḥ clearly knew the history of his people and the land in which they were dwelling. Yiphtaḥ was a great leader – he was learned in the Torah and the History of Yisra’ĕl – he understood and knew the facts. As we lead people to יהושע, we will do well to present ourselves as one who can rightly divide the Truth and present the facts of the Word through its purest form, knowing the historical and cultural context of the Word. We need to know our history and present ourselves as workmen approved before Elohim, if we are going to silence the vain threats of the enemies lies that are brought through the twisted dogmas and false traditions of man!

2 – יהוה  had given Yisra’ĕl the land: (verses 23-24)

Yiphtaḥ was always careful in giving יהוה the esteem for any victories Yisra’ĕl had won, always remembering to give honour and praise to יהוה who fights for us and gives us the victory. It was common among the other nations that when they would capture a territory they would claim that it was the ‘will of their mighty one’ that had given it to them to possess and so now Yiphtaḥ is declaring that the True and Only Elohim, יהוה of Hosts, is the One who’s will was fulfilled in giving Yisra’ĕl the land. יהוה, the Living Elohim, took possession of the land and so it became Yisra’ĕl’s land according to His Covenant promise. We too can declare today that it is יהוה who gives us the victory through Messiah יהושע, aměn! We must realise and always give recognition and praise that all we have is from יהוה our Elohim!

3 – Yisra’ĕl had lived in the land for centuries: (verses 25-26)

Yisra’ĕl had lived in and around that area for 300 years – why now, all of a sudden, is the king of Ammon trying to claim it as theirs – they had no legal claim to the land. The work of יהושע, done on the stake, was done almost 2000 years ago and His promises are secure in His Blood, the enemy cannot steal that or take what does not belong to him!

4 – The Ammonites were actually fighting against יהוה : (verses 27-28)

Yiphtaḥ didn’t declare war on Ammon – Ammon declared war on Yisra’ĕl. Now if יהוה had given the land to Yisra’ĕl, then by Ammon coming against Yisra’ĕl they were coming against יהוה, which would only lead to disaster. It is a dreadful thing to fall in to the hands of יהוה, who Judges both the living and the dead.

So what we can see up to this point is that Yiphtaḥ, who was now leading Yisra’ĕl, was clearly a man of courage and wisdom. He knew the Torah, the history of the nation of Yisra’ĕl and was bold to speak the truth, despite his past. יהוה  can and will use anyone He chooses, not based on their past, but on their ability to walk in obedience to His Word, that is one who can rightly handle the truth.

It is at this point in the text that we see the Spirit of יהוה came upon Yiphtaḥ. יהוה is the One who qualifies and calls a person into service and not man. Filled with the Spirit of יהוה he was now ready to go forward in great confidence and boldness. It is not by power nor by might but by the Spirit of יהוה, aměn!

Yiphtaḥ then makes a vow before יהוה. Now a vow was always a voluntary decision, and was a definite commitment that was honest, sincere and set-apart. Some people argue that he made a rash vow and was stupid etc., yet we are just told that the Spirit of יהוה had come upon him. Yiphtaḥ made a commitment, which is an agreement or pledge binding oneself to do something. He was not under any obligation to make this vow or solemn promise to יהוה, but he did! And it was a conditional agreement – if you do this…then I will do that. We know that יהוה fulfilled His part for He always keeps His promises.

Today there is a saying that says, “A verbal agreement isn’t worth the paper it is written on!” In other words, it has become the norm to realise that no promise, whether verbal or written, is of any value except in relation to the integrity of the one who makes the promise. So if there is a lack of true integrity then what do promises mean today!!!

In the past it would often be stated that, “A man’s word is his bond”, and sadly we do not see that today. That does not mean that the consequence of breaking our word has changed!!! If we make promises we ought to keep them – יהוה never breaks his Word.

Melaḵim Aleph/1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be יהוה, who has given rest to His people Yisra’ĕl, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good word, which He promised through His servant Mosheh.”

Yiphtaḥ’s vow was a devastating commitment – how about us today? How about the ‘whatever’s’ of our lives and the claims we easily make, especially when in a desperate situation!!! Many may often say things like, “Whatever it takes יהושע Messiah – I will follow you… just please do this for me …”!!!

Do you realise the need to keep that commitment based on your own confession? Yiphtaḥ didn’t forget his vow to יהוה. You see, all too often we find that vows or commitments are made in the storms of life and are then quickly forgotten in the calms. When you are in a fix, you can easily commit to something that may help, but as soon as relief comes you abandon your part of the commitment – sound familiar? Yiphtaḥ knew and realised he had to keep his vow to יהוה no matter what – he made the vow after all!!!

Bemiḏbar/Numbers 30:2 “When a man vows a vow to יהוה, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he does not break his word, he does according to all that comes out of his mouth.”

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 23:21 “When you make a vow to יהוה your Elohim, do not delay to pay it, for יהוה your Elohim is certainly requiring it of you, and it shall be sin in you.”

We must realise the power of our words of commitment we make and the accountability to keep them.

His vow was a defining commitment – this was a test of his commitment – would he keep his word? Would he obey יהוה? Was it just talk? Was he serious?

Yiphtaḥ shows us what it means to remain true to one’s word by following through with the appropriate actions. A man of words and not deeds is like a garden of weeds! You can pretty much fix a lot of things, but not a broken promise!

Qoheleth/Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 “When you make a vow to Elohim, do not delay to pay it, for He takes no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you have vowed. 5 It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”

There is a saying that says, “he who is slow in making a promise is the most faithful in keeping it.”

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 20:25 “It is a snare for a man to say rashly, “It is set-apart,” and only later to reconsider his vows.”

We must think before we speak. Yiphtaḥ realised and knew that he could not go back on his word – and we see this by the fact that he told his daughter, “I have given my word to יהוה and I am unable to turn back!”

When we say something we need to be ready to do it and follow through, regardless of the circumstances!!!

Yes, I suppose Yiphtaḥ could have turned back like so many today would quickly do, however disobedience to יהוה was not an option to him, and that is a great lesson for us today!!!

Another thing we need to realise is that vows do not need to be vocalised in order to be in effect!!! As soon as we say it in our hearts, יהוה knows and expects us to keep it!!!! Ma’asei/Acts 5 is a great example for us in the account of Ḥananyah and Shappirah – they made a vow when laying down the money as if it were all they had received for the land they sold, but it wasn’t and יהוה saw it in their hearts! The interesting thing to note here too is that nobody forced them to sell the land – they made this vow voluntarily yet still did not follow through with total obedience and we know what happened as a result!!!

Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that man looks at the eyes, but יהוה looks at the heart! 

Ḥananyah was a fool, who not only wanted the praise of men, but also wanted the money that, by his own vow, was no longer his – and so he lied to יהוה and paid the price for it.

Back to:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 23:21-23 “When you make a vow to יהוה your Elohim, do not delay to pay it, for יהוה your Elohim is certainly requiring it of you, and it shall be sin in you. 22 “But when you abstain from vowing, it is not sin in you. 23 “That which has gone from your lips you shall guard and do, for you voluntarily vowed to יהוה your Elohim what you have promised with your mouth.”

We must be careful what we say and what we so easily and quickly commit to, understanding the implications of not keeping our word.

Mattithyahu/Matthew 12:35-37 “The good man brings forth what is good from the good treasures of his heart, and the wicked man brings forth what is wicked from the wicked treasure. 36 “And I say to you that for every idle word men speak, they shall give an account of it in the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you shall be declared righteous, and by your words you shall be declared unrighteous.””

יהושע teaches us that we must keep our word by letting our yes be yes and our no be no!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:34-37 “But I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elohim’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the city of the great Sovereign; 36 nor swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 “But let your word ‘Yea’ be ‘Yea,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.”

What יהושע was saying here is not that you cannot make a vow, for He didn’t nullify His Torah, but rather He was saying that when you make any form of vow do not do it falsely. Don’t say yes when you really mean no and vice versa. One thing we see today is that people keep there options open by saying ‘maybe’. We need to learn to commit to yes and no being yes and no, anything other than that is falsehood and falsehood is from the evil one! To swear falsely is to profane the name of יהוה!

Yiphtaḥ’s vow was twofold – ‘whatever’ would meet him when he returned home would be dedicated to יהוה! If it was a person it would be forever dedicated in service to יהוה; and if it was an animal it would be sacrificed to יהוה and offered up as a thanksgiving offering! Why do I say that? Well the answer is easy! When you look at Scripture and understand that Yiphtaḥ knew the Torah and History of Yisra’ĕl, then this passage makes great sense. He was met by his only daughter, and he ‘gave her’ or rather ‘dedicated’ her to יהוה – to serve יהוה at the tabernacle.

We do know from Scripture that women did serve at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, as seen in Shemoth/Exodus 38:8 & Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 2:22).

His daughter, having been the first to greet him, was now to remain a virgin, never marry, never have kids – never know the joy of motherhood and continue her father’s line of inheritance in Yisra’ĕl. This was enough to cause her and her friends to spend 2 months grieving. What did she mourn? Her virginity! Nowhere in Scripture do we see that Yiphtaḥ actually killed his daughter, nor do we see anyone mourning her death. The emphasis is placed on the fact that she would remain a virgin. It is hard to believe that they would establish a custom to commemorate a sacrifice of a human being; but it is very clear that they would commemorate and celebrate the devotion and obedience of Yiphtaḥ’s daughter in helping her father fulfil his vow.

She certainly deserves to stand with Yitsḥaq as an example of a faithful child, willing to obey her father and יהוה, no matter the cost. In verse 31 the word translated as ‘and’ is the Hebrew letter ‘ו’ (waw, pronounced – ‘vav’) which can be translated as ‘and’ as well as ‘or’. What Yiphtaḥ was clearly saying here was that whatever comes out – if it is a person they will be dedicated to service unto יהוה ‘or’ if it is an animal it will be offered up as a sacrifice to יהוה, presuming that it is a clean animal that is!!! His daughter comes out and she is then dedicated to a lifetime of service unto יהוה and she willingly obeys – she understood what Sha’ul writes about in Romiyim/Romans 12 – that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, set-apart and pleasing to Elohim – for this is our reasonable act of worship!

When we have accepted יהושע as our Saviour and Master, we must realise the cost of that commitment brought forth out of our hearts and spoken from our lips – our word to Him must be kept!!! As we can learn from Yiphtaḥ – it doesn’t matter the circumstances of our upbringing or where we come from – we can know יהוה and be used by Him!

What we have to understand in this account is that Yiphtaḥ knew Torah and he would have known that child sacrifices were against the Torah:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 12:31 “Do not do so to יהוה your Elohim, for every abomination which יהוה hates they have done to their mighty ones, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones.”

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 18:10 “Let no one be found among you who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practises divination, or a user of magic, or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer”

Human sacrifices were an abomination to יהוה and Yiphtaḥ knew this – he would not willingly make a vow with יהוה that was an abomination to יהוה! The law of vows permitted monetary redemption of persons vowed to יהוה, but a person devoted to יהוה could not be redeemed. Yiphtaḥ committed his daughter to lifelong service to יהוה at the Tabernacle, and only priests would have been allowed to offer sacrifices, and Yiphtaḥ was not a priest and the priests would not have sacrificed a human!

In verse 40 we see that every year the women would ‘lament’ for four days – possibly during one of the feasts. The word we have translated as lament is the Hebrew word תָּנָה tanah – Strong’s H8567 meaning, ‘recount, rehearse’, which is only used twice in Scripture and should be correctly translated as celebrated or commemorate or praised and rejoiced. This leads us to correctly assume that the women would go every year to rejoice and celebrate with Yiphtaḥ’s daughter who was serving at the tabernacle.

I have mentioned these critical points in order for us to understand that Yiphtaḥ was not rash or foolish in his vows and then seemingly set out to kills his daughter, no! He was a man who knew the Torah, lived by it and followed it wholeheartedly by faith and that is what got him listed is the faith hall of fame in Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 11.

Some lessons we can take from this great sequence of events in the life of Yiphtaḥ, which I would like you to carefully consider:

1 – At times there may be in the life of true believers some doubt and distrust, but we ought to take heart that the Spirit of יהוה is with us to lead and guide us. Yiphtaḥ had the Spirit yet still hesitated a little and so his faith was tested by his vows. His faith was tested by the very confession of his mouth! How are you at passing the tests of that which has proceeded from your mouth?

2 – It is not evil to make vows with יהוה, especially when in pursuit or expectation of His mercy. To make vows to יהוה in terms of acceptable service to Him, not as a purchase for favour we desire, but as an expression of gratitude to Him and the deep sense we have of our obligation to render unto Him our complete worship according to what He has done for us, is good and pleasing – we must keep our word! Can you honestly assess your life and determine if your vows unto YHWH have been kept or have you neglected to keep it, and it is still sin in you?

3 – We must be very cautious and well advised before making any vows, so that we do not get caught up in a present emotion of zeal where we end up entangling our own conscience and be forced to say, ‘it was an error’! How many times have you spoken promises before actually thinking about what you are promising top commit to?

4 – That which we have vowed to do, according to the Word, we must do! Do not make vows that go against the Word! We must embrace the sense of powerful obligation that Yiphtaḥ displayed. “I have given my word, I cannot turn back!” Apply this to your commitment to follow יהושע – he who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not fit for service in the Kingdom of Elohim! In our vow to the Covenants of Promise made with sinners in the Blood of Messiah, we must follow Him and His Torah!!! We should commit to an obedient life of worship unto Him, born out of a love for Him!

Have you wavered in your confession of commitment to our Master who shed His Blood for you?

5 – Yiphtaḥ’s daughter is a wonderful picture of children obeying their parents in יהוה and magnifies the 5^th commandment.

6 – Our friend’s grievances should become ours as we carry each others burdens. Yiphtaḥ’s daughter mourned her virginity and so did her friends. Those who will only rejoice with you and not weep with you are unworthy to be called friends!

7 – Yiphtaḥ’s rough childhood didn’t affect him from following יהוה faithfully, he held no bitterness of the past! What bitterness are you holding on to, if any? Do you allow the words or actions of others from your past cause you to stumble in your called for walk of set-apartness today, perhaps to even lead those who had previously rejected you, to the Truth of Elohim?

8 – He was a peacemaker and appealed to יהוה for the victory rather than relying on the arm of the flesh – He knew where his help came from! Do you put your trust in יהוה or do you try to manipulate success by alternative means of the flesh?

9 – Most importantly – he didn’t go back on his word and had a wonderful trust relationship with his daughter which would have been built up through the knowledge of Torah, for she too knew Torah – He had taught his daughter well, bringing her up in the Word of Truth that would cause her not to hesitate in following יהוה with her all! If you have children, are you bringing them up in the Torah and teaching them the value of guarding the Torah with their all, so that they too will not depart from following the Truth?

As you consider what can most certainly be gleaned from the account of Yiphtaḥ’s calling, commitment and his vow that he kept, consider some more questions that will help you meditate on the clear lessons of truth given to us through this faithful man’s life:

1 – Do you know anyone like Yiphtaḥ, who was treated like an outcast by their family? How has this affected them in their lives and walk with יהושע?

2 – When the elders came to Yiphtaḥ to ask for his help in fighting the Ammonites, what was his response? How do you respond when those who have wronged you suddenly need something from you? What is the right response?

3 – Why do you think Yiphtaḥ made a vow? Was it to raise the moral of his men or was it because he put his complete trust in our Mighty Elohim?

4 – Have you ever made a vow to יהוה? Did you keep it or break it?

5 – How important do you consider the words you speak? Do you think before you speak or are you a motor mouth?

6 – What can you take from this chapter in Shophetim/Judges?

Allow these questions to stir in you the ability to look intently into the Word and not forget what you look like, as you guard to do all that our Mighty Master and Elohim commands us to do!

Tehillah/Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing before You, O יהוה, my rock and my redeemer.”

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom all,

Ma’asei/Acts 14:21-22 “And having brought the Good News to that city, and having made many taught ones, they returned to Lustra, and Ikonion, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the beings of the taught ones, encouraging them to continue in the belief, and that through many pressures we have to enter the reign of Elohim.”

Sha’ul and Barnaḇa were bringing the Good News to the people in Lustra, and after Sha’ul healed a man who was disabled in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked, the people of the city thought that Barnaḇa and Sha’ul were the mighty ones of Lukaonia, and called them Zeus and Hermes. When Barnaḇa and Sha’ul had heard this they tore their garments and told the crowds that they were just men as they were, and that they were bringing the Good News so that they would turn from these worthless matters to the living Elohim. Not believing them the crowds were influenced by the Yehuḏim that had come from Antioch and Ikonion who sought to kill Sha’ul, and they won over the crowds and then stoned Sha’ul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. While the believers were around his body, Sha’ul stood up and went back into the city, and the next morning he went with Barnaḇa to Derbe. And this is what is recorded prior to the two verses I have just quoted! What I want to highlight here is how Sha’ul and Barnaḇa never gave up spreading the Good News! And while being mocked, beaten and stoned, they strengthened the taught ones and encouraged them to stay in the belief and recognise that it is through many pressures that we have to enter into the reign of Elohim!

The narrow way that leads to life is hard pressed, but will you be encouraged to stay on it, or do the pressures of the world seem too much for you at times and you find yourself losing heart?

Tonight in a message called, ‘DO NOT LOSE HEART!’, I want us to be strengthened to do exactly just that, as we hear the clear words of a parable that our Master gave regarding this! Please turn with me to Luqas/Luke 18:1-8 (Read).

Here we are given a great parable of encouragement given to faithful hearers of The Good Teacher!

The Greek word for ‘parable’ is παραβολή parabolē  – Strong’s G3850 which means, ‘a placing beside, comparison, parable, proverb, symbol, type’. This Greek word is used in the LXX (Septuagint – Greek translation of Tanak) for the Hebrew word for ‘proverbs’ – מִשְׁלֵי – ‘Mishlĕ’, which comes from the root noun מָשָׁל mashal – Strong’s H4912 and means, ‘a proverb, parable, a byword’, which in its primitive root form means, ‘to compare, to represent, be like’, and comes from the root verb מָשַׁל mashal – Strong’s H4911 which means, ‘to use a proverb, speak in parables or sentences of poetry’. That is why we understand the words of Messiah when He spoke in parables by using terms such as, “The reign of the heavens is like…”, or, “The reign of the heavens shall be compared to…”.

A ‘parable’ actually presents the truth very clearly by putting a fresh light on the matter, as it is often presented in a ‘story’ format that represents the message being given, using imagery known to the hearer, in order to illustrate and shed light on the result of past, current and even future events as determined by choices that are made.

Parables can only be understood by the attentive hearer and doer of the Word, while those who do not hear, in order to do, are never able to fully understand the teachings of or Master!

Marqos/Mark 4:33-34 “And with many such parables He was speaking to them the word as they were able to hear, 34 and He was not speaking to them without parables. And when they were alone, He explained all to His taught ones.”

Luqas/Luke 8:10 “And He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the reign of Elohim, but to the rest in parables, that ‘Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not understand.’”

Here in this clear parable of a pleading widow and an unjust judge, Messiah was making it a very clear call of perseverance that He was giving to His taught ones, and in doing so He tells us to make sure that we are always praying and that we do not lose heart! We live in a very unjust world that is ruled by unjust people, yet we have a King who is coming to Bring His Rule and Reign, of which we are to be faithful ambassadors of, right here and now; which in itself takes great courage and strength to stand upright in an unjust world! We are called to be persistent in our petitions with thanksgiving before Elohim and never lose heart! This parable teaches us that even while an unjust judge will give in to a persistent widow, we can have much more assurance from our Righteous Husband and King who is coming for us, and that He will come and bring justice as He certainly hears our persistent petitions and prayers done with thanksgiving! We are the Bride of Messiah and are not widowed, and this Truth gives us complete assurance that His Word is sure and all His promises are yes and aměn in Messiah! The clear question that rises from this parable that is given to teach us to not lose heart is simple – “who will be found to have lost heart?” Will He find belief/faith on the earth when He comes again? Will he find the faithful remnant who, despite the wickedness of the world, have held fast to His commands and teachings and have not lost heart in walking in His Torah?

Keep praying and do not lose heart, but hold firm to the belief with committed works of righteousness! This parable was given to us so that we should not lose heart. What does it mean to lose heart? To put it simply, it could be understood as ‘becoming discouraged’. Who of you have been discouraged lately? Perhaps you have found yourself becoming discouraged due to the choking worries of this world and deceit of wealth, as pressure to meet needs seems beyond your ability and reach? Perhaps you have been discouraged due to circumstances that do not seem to change as you would like them to?

Perhaps your continued persistent prayers have been discouraged and reduced to nought due to you not seeing any answers? Have you found yourself discouraged by the response of many to your proclamation of the Truth and found that your ability to walk set-apart is being hindered by the criticisms and slanderous words of others, be it from close family, friends or even colleagues at work? We all need to be reminded of this parable that we should hear from time to time, in order to defeat any discouragement that may be trying to creep in to one’s life.

Sha’ul makes a bold statement in his letter to the Corinthians wherein he uses the clear phrase, “we do not lose heart”, twice, in:

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 4:1 “Therefore, having this service, even as we received compassion, we do not lose heart”

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but even if our outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

If anyone had reason to be discouraged it certainly could have been Sha’ul, if we consider the things that he had suffered – he was imprisoned, flogged, beaten, shipwrecked and more, which you can read of in Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 11:23-29 – and yet here he can make a bold statement – ‘we do not lose heart!”

I don’t think any of us come close to the experiences Sha’ul had and yet strange and sad as it is, many today become easily discouraged. He tells us in:

Galatiyim/Galatians 6:9 “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”

The Greek word translated as ‘lose heart’ is ἐκκακέω ekkakeō – Strong’s G1573 meaning, ‘lose heart, grow weary, exhausted, become faint’ and comes from two words: 1 – ἐκ ek – Strong’s G1537 which means, ‘from, from out of’ and is used as a preposition denoting the origin or point from where the action proceeds; and 2 – κακός kakos – Strong’s G2556 meaning, ‘evil, wicked, bad things, loathsome, wrong’.

To lose heart speaks of growing weary of doing good as a result of wickedness and evil being present in one’s life, or as a  result of being involved in doing that which is wrong and loathsome in the sight of Elohim as measured against the clear plumb line of His Word.

The Greek word for ‘grow weary’ is ἐκλύω ekluō – Strong’s G1590 which means, ‘to loose, grow weary, faint, to weaken, relax, exhaust, become feint hearted’, and comes from the two words 1 – ἐκ ek – Strong’s G1537 which means, ‘from, from out of’, as discussed already and 2 – λύω luō – Strong’s G3089 which means, ‘to loose, to release, dissolve, annul, break, take off, unbind, untie’. In other words, ‘to grow weary’ is to break off from one’s called for set-apartness and in a manner of speaking, relax oneself from guarding the Torah that is to be upon their hearts and in their mouths, as compromise seems to be an easy reprieve from impending pressures, and this we are to guard against and ensure that we do not grow weary in doing good! The idea of doing good implies walking in the commands of Elohim and doing the ‘good works’ prepared beforehand for us to do! To do good is to be functional, according to the clear design of the Torah of Elohim, as opposed to being dysfunctional and cease from doing what is good, by doing that which is bad and evil!

With Messiah telling us the parable of the persistent widow so that we should always pray and not lose heart, we are able to recognise some significant signs that one is losing heart. Basically the two main signs that one is losing heart are:

1 – Lack of persistent prayer!

Yes – this is a sure sign that one is losing heart! When your prayers become less and less and almost non-existent! How often do you find it hard to pray? This is a sure sign of losing heart, as our Master equates persistent prayer with not losing heart, so if one is not praying fervently then this is a sign of one losing heart and becoming discouraged! How is your prayer life? A true set-apart one of the Most High is characterised by a fervent prayer life.

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 6:18 “praying at all times, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the set-apart ones”

What we must take note of here is that this instruction given to us here by Sha’ul, to pray at all times, is directly after having instructed us to put on the complete armour of Elohim, which clearly represents for us or need to be ‘dressed in Torah’ and serve as a faithful set-apart and royal priesthood – then we are able to pray as we ought to. Neglecting to walk in The Torah by hearing, guarding and doing it, will render one’s attempts at prayer useless and is even seen as abominable in יהוה’s eyes:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 28:9 “He who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.”

Qolasim/Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer, watching therein, with thanksgiving”

The Greek word translated as ‘continue’ is προσκαρτερέω proskartereō – Strong’s G4342 which means, ‘to attend constantly, continually devoting oneself, stand ready’. With this ‘continued readiness’ in prayer we take note that to be able to stand ready and continually devote oneself to prayer implies a continual devotion to hearing, guarding and doing of the Torah, always armed in the Torah and enabled to stand, stand and stand!!! Once again I ask ‘how is your prayer life?’ And when I ask that I am also asking at the same time, ‘how is your continued devotion to set-apartness?’. If there is any compromise in your life then the sure sign of losing heart will become visible and one’s ability to pray continually with thanksgiving will become greatly hindered!

Tas’loniqim Aleph/1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in all circumstances give thanks, for this is the desire of Elohim in Messiah יהושע for you.”

No matter the circumstances give thanks and pray without ceasing!!! If you cannot pray then the sign of you losing heart is clear! How is your prayer life – are you losing heart and have become discouraged by your circumstances?

2 – Growing weary in doing good

I have already discussed what this means and just want  to make it clear that this is another sure sign that one is losing heart! Another example of growing weary in doing good is when people forsake the assembly of ourselves together; in other words forsaking the attending of and participating in the life of the assembly:

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 10:24-25 “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.”

When you start neglecting to gather and assemble as we should, and neglect to encourage one another and stir up love and good works as you grow weary in doing what the assembly does, then there is a sure sign that you may be losing heart and in danger of allowing discouragement to cripple your set-apartness! The early assembly did not find it a burden to meet daily! They met at every opportunity they had, while not neglecting the called for set-apart gatherings – and this is what must be stirred up once again in the body – something that many have grown weary in doing! Fellowship and the assembling together on a daily basis is designed to encourage others as well as ourselves. While this may not be practically possible today, what is possible is the daily encouragement we can be to one another, as technology today has given us the means to do so, and we should not grow weary in encouraging others daily, while doing our utmost to never neglect the called for gatherings of this assembly!!!

Lack of persistent prayer and growing weary in doing good are clear symptoms that one is losing heart, but where there is peace in prayer and joy in doing good what could possibly cause you to become discouraged and lose heart?

While we hear the call to not lose heart, we do recognise various reasons that cause people to lose heart and become discouraged. Among many reasons there may be for losing heart, they could most probably be categorised under the following two main reasons why many lose heart:

1 – Tribulations, sufferings, trials:

Listen to what Sha’ul writes in his letter to the Ephesians:

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 3:13 “I pray therefore, that you do not lose heart at my pressures on your behalf, which is your esteem.”

Sha’ul was concerned that those in Ephesos might ‘lose heart’ or be discouraged over his sufferings! I mean if it were possible to become discouraged and lose heart over his sufferings, how much more over their own? How often do you get discouraged by another’s trials and sufferings and think that it is not fair and find yourself losing heart on behalf of the trials of others? In His Parable of the Sower, יהושע Messiah warned that some would lose heart over trials and suffering:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 13:20-21“And that sown on rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived, and when pressure or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”

How often the soil of our hearts simply becomes rocky because we don’t water it through prayer and fellowship!!!

Trials can take different forms and come in many shapes and sizes! Both יהושע Messiah and Sha’ul spoke of those things that are peculiar to set-apart believers – and that is – ridicule, ostracism and even physical abuse from the world. We even sometimes have brothers sin against us and many lose heart because of this. But there are also the trials of sickness and death, frustrations at work and home, all of which can take their toll on us if we do not handle them as we should. Ya’aqoḇ tells us to count it all joy when you fall into various trials and let endurance have a perfect work, so that you be perfect and complete, lacking in naught; however this is often not the case with most and many give up and lose heart when faced with great trials and sufferings! How do you handle trials? Have you lost heart in the midst of tough circumstances and trials!

2 – Lawlessness, rebellion, sin:

The second main reason for many losing heart is due to lawlessness, rebellion and sin!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 24:12 “And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold.”

In a world that does not submit to the perfect Torah of Elohim, many become discouraged and lose heart as they conform to the world instead of being transformed by the renewing of their minds daily. Lawlessness or rebellion is simply a lack of  a proper fear, respect and reverence for יהוה, in both attitude (which is toward יהוה’s Word) and obedience (which is doing יהוה’s will). If you don’t have the right attitude toward יהוה you certainly won’t live out His Word. You know what – lawlessness is contagious – so watch out! For when people demonstrate a lack of fear, reverence and respect for יהוה’s Word, it often discourages even the most faithful and encourages them to become unfaithful:

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 15:33-34 “Do not be led astray, “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Wake up to soberness, righteously, and do not sin, for some do not have the knowledge of Elohim. I speak this to your shame.”

If you are hanging out in the wrong crowds – it will affect you – get into fellowship with other believers and be strengthened in doing good for them!

I believe that it may be the case that more believers are ‘losing heart’ because of lawlessness and rebellion rather than tribulations and trials, simply because of the company they keep and the neglect for building strong set-apart assemblies/ communities – as they would rather indulge in the pleasure of the world for six days and fellowship, almost out of a duty, for one, which at times is even seen as a burden for them to do so faithfully!

Sha’ul stands out for us as one who, despite having faced and endured the worst trials and living in possibly the most lawless of cultures, could still say, “We do not lose heart”. How?

As mentioned earlier he said in:

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 4:1 “Therefore, having this service, even as we received compassion, we do not lose heart”

As having received compassion, he did not lose heart!!! As a result of the great compassion that he received, he could continue and be steadfast in not allowing any circumstance discourage him from the Truth and the clear call of witnessing the Good News of the Reign of Elohim! The Greek word used here for ‘compassion’ is ἐλεέω eleeō – Strong’s G1653 which means, ‘to have pity or mercy on, show compassion’, and comes from the root word ἔλεος eleos – Strong’s G1656 which means, ‘mercy, compassion, pity’.

This Greek word for ‘compassion’ – ἐλεέω eleeō – Strong’s G1653 is the word used in the LXX (Septuagint) as the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word חָנַן ḥanan – Strong’s H2603 meaning, ‘show favour, be gracious to, dealt graciously with, given to them voluntarily, shown favour’, from which we get the Hebrew noun חֵן ḥen – Strong’s H2580 meaning, ‘grace, adornment, favour, gracious’. The root ἔλεος eleos – Strong’s G1656 is used as the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word translated as ‘loving commitment’, which is חֶסֶד ḥesed – Strong’s H2617 and means, ‘goodness, loving-commitment, kindness, deeds of devotion, faithfulness’.

Why I am mentioning this is to highlight the clear relationship that Sha’ul is presenting to us, in giving us the clear reason why we should not lose heart!

For more info on the unique relationship between חֵן ḥen and חֶסֶד ḥesed, I encourage you to go and read the article, ‘UNDERSTANDING GALATIANS’ on our website (https://atfotc.com), as I explain more in depth on the clear connection between these two words.

What we must recognise is that grace/favour is only extended on the basis of the Loving-Commitment of יהוה to His Covenants of Promise that we are brought near and grafted in to by the blood of Messiah. Because of the ἐλεέω eleeō – Strong’s G1653 – that is the ‘compassion’ that we have received from Elohim, based on His commitment to His Covenants with Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq and Ya’aqoḇ, that He does not break, we must be equipped and encouraged to not lose heart – and this takes an active faith that does not waver in compromise!

In sharing his boldness in not losing heart, Sha’ul reminds us that we have this treasure in earthen  vessels, as we carry the very knowledge and light of His Truth in a broken world, yet we must take courage that this world cannot destroy the sure deposit that Elohim has put inside us by His Spirit, and therefore we must be encouraged to not become discouraged and find ourselves losing heart! He says that while being hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; being perplexed, but not in despair; being persecuted, but not forsaken; being thrown down, but not destroyed; that he was always bearing about in the body the dying of the Master יהושע, that the life of יהושע might also be manifested in our body.

How hard pressed have been? How much persecution have you faced (even from family)? How perplexed have you been – that is to say, “how often have you been at a loss”? How many times has it felt like you have been thrown down by what you feel has been dealt to you unfairly?

Messiah said that “…the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:14).

In closing please read with me what Sha’ul wrote to the Galatians:

Galatiyim/Galatians 6:7-9 “Do not be led astray: Elohim is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap. 8  Because he who sows to his own flesh shall reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit shall reap everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”

My hope is that none of us will lose heart and grow weary in our service and worship unto our Master, Husband and King, יהושע Messiah! But if you do ever find yourself ‘losing heart’, go and read Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians chapters 3-5 and you will find the secrets to not ‘losing heart’ and realise that the treasure you have inside your frail container is in the hands of our Wondrous Maker!!!

Perhaps you have found yourself in a place where you have felt like giving up or have been found to be ‘losing heart’ of late. Maybe your prayer time has not been as persistent as it should or you have grown weary in fellowshipping and doing good toward others.

Perhaps trials have got the better of you or you have found yourself mixing in the wrong circles and have been rebellious toward יהוה.

Appreciate the wonderful covenants of Promise that we have been grafted in to by the Blood of our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah, and have your eyes fixed on Him as you look, by faith, at what is not seen so that as you look at that which is seen you will not be affected by varying circumstances and not lose heart!

Do not lose heart, for Elohim is coming to do right by all means to His chosen ones – the ones who are crying out to Him day and night and are not losing heart but are standing firm in the belief – a belief that He expects to find when He comes again!

How will you be found – DO NOT LOSE HEART!!!

Whatever pressures, trials, battles, persecutions and troubles you have or are facing, know that as you stay in the Master and do not lose heart, you will not be crushed or in despair, nor shall you be forsaken or destroyed!

So, as Sha’ul encouraged and strengthened the believers in Lustra and Derbe, I encourage you also, to be strengthened in our Master and continue in the belief, and know that through many pressures we have to enter the reign of Elohim.

DO NOT LOSE HEART!

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom,

Romiyim/Romans 15:12-13 “And again, Yeshayahu says, “There shall be a root of Yishai, and He who shall rise to reign over the gentiles, on Him the gentiles shall set their expectation.” 13 And the Elohim of expectation fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you overflow with expectation by the power of the Set-apart Spirit.”

The Greek word that is translated here as ‘expectation’ is – ἐλπίς elpis – Strong’s G1680 which means, ‘expectation or hope’, and also carries the understanding of having a ‘joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation’, and is also used to describe and define who the author of hope is, and in terms of the sure expectation of eternal salvation is can also be understood as meaning, ‘he who is its foundation’.

An ‘expectation’, can either be good or bad and therefore it can represent either hope or fear.

Hope, as expectation of good, is closely linked with trust, and expectation can also be understood as an urgent longing, in which the element of patient waiting or fleeing for refuge is emphasised.

We recognise this truth as we put our complete trust and hope in our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah – our Saviour!

In our patient waiting we are called to a faithful endurance in which our expectation in our Great Saviour and King shall not fail, as long as we stay in Him and flee all whoring, idolatry and lusts of the youth and remain steadfast in pursuing righteousness.

Tas’loniqim Aleph/1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But we who are of the day should be sober, putting on the breastplate of belief and love, and as a helmet the expectation of deliverance.”

We are to put of the breastplate of belief and love, and as a helmet – the expectation of deliverance!!!

A breastplate protects the upper body where the heart is and we know that Scripture refers to the breastplate of righteousness when referring to the armour of Elohim, which teaches us a great deal about our need to be a faithful priesthood that guards the commands and Torah of Elohim, which is to be upon our hearts and in our mouths to do it!

To do this we need to be sober minded as we meditate upon His Torah day and night, as we put on the helmet of deliverance!

As we know, as it tells us in Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 10:16, that the Renewed Covenant ensures that יהוה writes His Torah written upon our hearts and minds; and in Pilipiyim/Philippians 4 we are told to not worry at all, yet make our requests known with thanksgiving and His shalom shall guard our hearts and minds in Messiah!

Two vital pieces of armour that are needed to guard the very place where He has written His Torah; and we guard His commands through meditating daily on them, as we are transformed by the renewing of our minds and by the ‘doing’ of His commands, in expressing our faith with works of righteousness in a true display of our love for Him.

What we take note of here, in Sha’ul’s words to the believers of Thessalonica, is that he tells us that the helmet we are to put on is the ‘expectation of deliverance’!

Once again, we see the Greek word used here for ‘expectation’ is – ἐλπίς elpis – Strong’s G1680.

We are to put on ‘expectation’!!!

What does that mean?

Well, we are also told to put on the Master, in:

Romiyim/Romans 13:12-14 “The night is far advanced, the day has come near. So let us put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day, not in wild parties and drunkenness, not in living together and indecencies, not in fighting and envy, 14 but put on the Master יהושע Messiah, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh.”

Put off darkness and put on light! Put on the Master! But how…?

Galatiyim/Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on Messiah.”

What becomes very clear as we consider these words is that we put on Messiah through our immersion in Him, and so recognise that He is our expectation that we are to put on and keep on as we put on the expectation of deliverance!

Expectation, helmet, deliverance, Messiah, immersion…. Put on!

All key words indeed, all of which carry a very clear message for us, in our need to live set-apart lives!

Tonight, in a message called, “THE EXPECTATION OF YISRA’ĔL – Immersion unveiled!”, I want to bring these words collectively together in helping us clearly understand the sure expectation we have in the only One and True EXPECTATION of Yisra’ĕl!

This Greek word for ‘expectation’ – ἐλπίς elpis – Strong’s G1680, is used in the LXX (Septuagint) in a verse that gripped me greatly this week and caused me to dig deeper into exploring this powerful understanding and revelation of the expectation of Yisra’ĕl! The verse that I am referring to is:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 14:8 “O Expectation of Yisra’ĕl, its Saviour in time of distress, why should You be like a stranger in the land, or like a traveller who turns aside to lodge?”

These were the words of Yirmeyahu, after the word of יהוה came to Yirmeyahu, concerning droughts and the fact that there would be no rain due to lack of obedience.

Yirmeyahu appeals to יהוה to act for His Name’s sake, and says, “though our crookednesses witness against us” and acknowledges and says, “our backslidings have been many, we have sinned against You.” (Verse 7).

And in his urgent appeal to יהוה, Yirmeyahu addresses יהוה as, ‘Expectation of Yisra’ĕl, its Saviour’.

He asks in urgency that in a time of distress why should the Expectation and Saviour of Yisra’ĕl be like a stranger in the land or a traveller who turns aside to lodge.

What he was basically stating here was that יהוה was not being welcomed or received as He should.

יהוה was being treated like a stranger or traveller that had no permanence among His people for they did not receive His presence in the proper set-apartness as they should due to their crookedness and sin.

He continues to ask יהוה why He should be one as stunned and as a mighty man that is unable to save and that with His Name being called upon us he urgently appeals to יהוה not to leave.

יהוה then answers and says in verse 10:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 14:10 “Thus said יהוה to this people, “So they have loved to wander, they have not restrained their feet. Therefore יהוה has not accepted them. Now He does remember their crookedness and punish their sins.”

They had loved to wander and lacked restraint!

This is pretty much the state of so many today, as many love to wander and lack proper restraint.

By that I mean that they, as so many today, could not choose between two opinions and stick faithfully to one or the other. They move back and forth as is convenient to them, especially if they are not trying to offend anyone.

Hopping between serving as one should and then serving self or other belief systems offends יהוה, and simply proves that they were actually fearing someone or something else other than יהוה Himself.

This was the main reason that they were being punished.

Yirmeyahu was then told in the very next verse not to pray for this people for their good!

Prayers for the double minded and unfaithful are useless as יהוה will not listen.

His ears are always attentive to a returning sinner who wholeheartedly turns away from all crookedness and sin and turns to יהוה, while those who hop between two opinions and claim to worship and fear Him while they hold fast to false traditions and the walking in crooked paths of twisted dogmas of man He does not hear, nor will He.

The reason why I am mentioning these verses, is to put into context the verse that I am highlighting tonight, which is verse 8, where Yirmeyahu calls upon the Expectation and Saviour of Yisra’ĕl!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘its Saviour’ is מוֹשִׁיעוֹ – ‘moshiyao’ – which is another variant in the structure of the Hebrew term מוֹשִׁיעַ Moshiya, used to highlight who our Saviour is – and having said that – it highlights who our “Messiah” is (as an English transliteration of the term)!

For more detailed information on this vital truth, please see the article called YHWH our Saviour, which can be found on our site (Http://atfotc.com) under the ‘articles’ menu or by clicking on the following link:

https://atfotc.com/index.php/2012-04-19-08-30-28/view/512-yhwh-our-saviour

In this message, I am not going to dig into the word for Saviour, but rather, expand on confirming who our Saviour is, by looking at this Hebrew word that is used here for ‘expectation’, in the address of Yirmeyahu to יהוה.

The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘expectation’ is the noun מִקְוֵה miqveh – Strong’s H4723 which means, ‘hope, expectation’, as well as being translated as ‘a collection or gathering of waters’.

It comes from the root verb קָוָה  qavah – Strong’s H6960 meaning, ‘to wait for, eagerly wait, expect, hopefully waiting’, and when we are instructed to ‘wait on יהוה’, it carries the intensity of being commanded to look eagerly for the soon return of our Light, Saviour and Refuge in who we continually trust and praise and are taught by; for when we wait on יהוה our strength is renewed – and waiting on יהוה requires our active response to who He is, with great intensity.

The people of Yirmeyahu’s day were not waiting on יהוה and lacked proper restraint and obedience to His commands, while everyone did whatever they considered to be right for them as they wavered and hopped between opinions.

There was no true stability in the True Expectation and Saviour of Yisra’ĕl!

What struck me greatly this week, was the use of this Hebrew word in addressing יהוה.

The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl is the Saviour of Yisra’ĕl – the One who saves and brings to us the Living Waters!

As we look at the ancient pictographic rendering of this word for ‘expectation’ we are able to fully confirm and see what is clearly being expressed in prophecy here.

In the ancient Hebrew pictographic script, the word מִקְוֵה miqveh – Strong’s H4723 which means, ‘hope, expectation’, as well as being translated as ‘a collection of gathering of waters’, looks like this:

Mem – מִ:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as ‘water’, and also carries the meaning of ‘chaos’ (from the storms of the sea) and can also picture that which is mighty or massive as well as the unknown. We are also able to understand this letter as representing the nations, for the nations are often likened to the seas in Scripture. Knowing this letter represents ‘water’, we are also able to see how this can render for us the meaning of ‘washing’ or ‘cleansing’.

Quph – קְ:

This is the letter ‘quph’, which is pictured as , and is a ‘horizon’ and depicts the elements of ‘time’, as it pictures the sun in its rising and setting. It therefore carries the meaning of ‘circle’ or ‘to go around’, representing for us both, appointed cycles or times as well as eternity.

Waw/vav – וֵ:

The ancient pictographic from of this letter is , and is pictured as ‘a peg’ or ‘tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.

Hey – ה:

The ancient script has this letter pictured as , which is ‘a man standing with his arms raised out’. The Hebrew word “hey” means “behold”, as when looking at a great sight. This word can also mean “breath” or “sigh” as when one sighs in amazement when looking at a great sight. It also carries for us the meaning of surrender, as we lift up our hands and submit to יהוה as we lift our hands in praise, declaring His authority under which we humbly submit!

As we look at these letter pictures, we are able to see the fuller meaning of the word used for ‘expectation’ in referring to the One who is our Saviour!

The collection of these letters can render for us the meaning of:

“THE WATERS THAT ARE FOREVER SECURED IN THE ONE WHO IS TO BE PRAISED!”

or:

“THE WASHING THAT IS FOREVER SECURED IN THE ONE TO BE PRAISED!”

or, when considering that the waters can be a reference to the nations that will come forth and be delivered out of the chaos of sin and destruction we could see the meaning of:

“BEHOLD THE ONE WHO SECURES THE GATHERING OF THE NATIONS!”

What is worth taking note of, is that this word מִקְוֵה miqveh – Strong’s H4723 is only used 12 times in Scripture, and the first time it is used is in:

Berěshith/Genesis 1:10 “And Elohim called the dry land ‘earth,’ and the collection of the waters He called ‘seas.’ And Elohim saw that it was good.”

Here, it is translated as ‘collection’ and is referring to the gathering of the waters and the root word קָוָה qavah – Strong’s H6960 is used in Berěshith/Genesis 1:9, where He commanded the ‘gathering’ of the waters, so that the dry land could appear!

This is a powerful picture being set forth here for us, as we see the word of Elohim that brings order out of chaos by the gathering of the seas to bring forth the land from which He would form and fashion man in His image!

Sin brought forth chaos to that which was made good and as a result, the Expectation had to come in order to restore order and bring back a restoration to His image in man!

The Expectation and Saviour of Yisra’ĕl is made very clear in Scripture – and they were expectant of a Saviour to come and deliver them from destruction and save them from the oppression of their enemies.

And here, in Yirmeyahu, we see clear evidence that “The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl” is the Messiah – The one who would come and save us and wash us completely from our sin!

We further see the confirmation of who the expectation is as we take a look at another couple of verses in Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 17:13 “O יהוה, the expectation of Yisra’ĕl, all who forsake You are put to shame. “Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken יהוה, the fountain of living waters.”

In this verse Yirmeyahu clearly calls יהוה, “The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl”, and anyone who would forsake Him would be put to shame and those who depart from “The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl” would be written in the earth! Here in this verse is another clear title being given to יהוה, “The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl”, and that is “The Fountain of Living Waters”!!!

I hope you see what I am highlighting here, as we see Scripture being very clear to us in telling us that יהוה is “The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl”, He is “The Messiah”, and He is “The Fountain of Living Waters”!

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 50:7 “All who found them have devoured them. And their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty, because they have sinned against יהוה, the Home of righteousness, and the Expectation of their fathers: יהוה.’”

Even the enemies of Yisra’ĕl knew who the expectation of their fathers of Yisra’ĕl was – יהוה!

יהוה our Elohim is the One who Yisra’ĕl was waiting for, in great expectation of a sure deliverance!

As we see these clear prophetic words of Yirmeyahu we are able to unveil the revelation of Messiah who came in the flesh to save, as we see that Messiah is the Living Waters:

Yoḥanan/John 4:10 “יהושע answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of Elohim, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me to drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

יהושע Messiah made it clear to this woman at Shomeron that He was the One whom they were expecting!

We are told that those who departed from Him, the Living Waters, would be written in the earth!

Understanding this, let me remind you of the account of the scribes and Pharisees who brought a woman caught in adultery before יהושע:

Yoḥanan/John 8:6 “And this they said, trying Him, so that they might accuse Him. But יהושע, bending down, wrote on the ground with the finger, as though He did not hear.”

יהושע The Messiah and Fountain of Living Waters did not listen to them, and He wrote on the ground!!!

What was He writing?

I am certain, that in accordance with the clear revelation of prophecy, that He was writing the names of these religious ones, who had forsaking the Expectation of Yisra’ĕl, that had bent down before them as a witness against them, in making it clear that He, the Expectation and Saviour of Yisra’ĕl had come down and had written their names in the earth!!!

With the Hebrew term מִקְוֵה miqveh – Strong’s H4723 coming from the root קָוָה qavah – Strong’s H6960 meaning, ‘to wait for, eagerly wait, expect, hopefully waiting’, we are able to clearly recognise that the מִקְוֵה miqveh is the expectation that we have been looking for and been expectant to come!

In other words – יהוה who saves, is our מִקְוֵה miqveh!

While this word carries a broader meaning of a collection of waters, it became commonly known to the Yehuḏim (Jews), as the word to describe ‘a bath or pool used for the purposes of ritual cleansing’, and is primarily understood today as the Hebrew word that is commonly referred to when speaking of one’s ‘immersion, baptism’.

When we recognise this, we are able to understand more fully how important ‘immersion’ is!!!

Immersion in His Name cleanses us from all our sin!

The enemy has been very crafty, for a very long time, in redirecting people, through false traditions and futile lies, to being immersed in a false name that cannot save!

I quoted a verse from Galatiyim earlier:

Galatiyim/Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on Messiah.”

The Greek word that is translated as ‘immersed’ is the verb βαπτίζω baptizō – Strong’s G907 which means, ‘to baptize, immerse, to dip, sink, ceremonially wash, to cleanse by dipping or submersion’.

What is interesting to take note of, is that this Greek verb is used in the LXX (Septuagint) in the following verse, and is translated as ‘dipped’:

Melaḵim Bět/2 Kings 5:14 “Then he went down and dipped seven times in the Yardĕn, according to the word of the man of Elohim. And his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

Can you remember who this was that went down and dipped?

It was Na’aman, commander of the army of the sovereign of Aram, who had leprosy and at the advice of his wife’s Hebrew servant girl who had been captured on one of the Aramean raids on Yisra’ĕl, went to Elisha the prophet at Shomeron.

He was told to go and wash in the Yarděn, which he refused to do at first, but after having done as instructed, he was cleansed!

He dipped 7 times, picturing for us a complete cleansing, and with 7 being a significant number for us, in representing the complete work of Messiah, as pictured through His 7 Feasts, we recognise that our immersion into His Name, is critical as it cleanses us from sin, in order that we partake of His Feasts and are grafted in to His House and built up in Him as Living Stones that the Living Waters has cleansed!

The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘dipped’ is the primitive root verb טָבַל taḇal – Strong’s H2881 which means, ‘to dip, plunge’. In the ancient Hebrew pictographic alphabet this word looks like this:

Tet – טָ:

The original pictograph for this letter is , which is pictured as ‘a container made of wicker or clay’. Containers were a very important item among the nomadic Hebrews. They were used for storing grains and other items. Wicker baskets were used as nets for catching fish. The meaning of this letter is ‘basket, contain, store and clay’. It can also mean surround as a basket is used to ‘surround’ something to be protected and secure.

Beyt – בַ:

The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures ‘a tent floor plan’ and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself.

Lamed – ל:

The ancient script has this letter as , and is pictured as a ‘shepherd’s staff’, can give the meaning of ‘to or toward’ and can represent that which pushes or pulls a flock in a direction, and can speak of authority or a yoke that is used to lead and guide, as well as the ability to bring back by Authority.

When looking at these pictographic letters we can get the meaning,

‘SURROUND THE HOUSE WITH AUTHORITY’

In terms of understanding this word, in representing a ‘dipping’ or ‘immersion’, we can see the understanding of the function, and purpose, of our immersion in Messiah, and that is, to gather us, as an ĕphah basket, into His House and be under His authority, as we take on His easy and light yoke and ‘stay in Him’, and be the ripe basket that submits, as opposed to the rotten one that rejects His Authority and His Torah for His House!

The first time that this Hebrew word טָבַל taḇal – Strong’s H2881 is used, is in:

Berěshith/Genesis 37:31 “So they took Yosĕph’s robe, killed a male goat, and dipped the robe in the blood”

Here, we are able to see the clear shadow picture of Messiah’s immersion and death, that would bring life to those who are immersed in Him!

Messiah Himself went to Yoḥanan to be immersed, as pictured here, in Yosĕph’s coat being dipped, in preparation for His work of deliverance!

Yosĕph’s coat was dipped, and this shadow pictures יהוה, the expectation of Yisra’ĕl, coming in the Flesh and being immersed, as preparation for His work of deliverance that would come through His Blood, as He would die for our sins and cleanse us completely, and be raised to life so that we too can have newness of life.

Mattithyahu/Matthew 3:13 “Then יהושע came from Galil to Yoḥanan at the Yarděn to be immersed by him.”

Our need to be immersed, in the expectation of Yisra’ĕl, is critical to us walking in newness of life, lest we reject an immersion into His Name and die in our sin!

Romiyim/Romans 6:3-4 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Messiah יהושע were immersed into His death? 4 We were therefore buried with Him through immersion into death, that as Messiah was raised from the dead by the esteem of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life.”

The Hebrew word טָבַל taḇal – Strong’s H2881 is used 16 times in the Tanak, and besides being used in reference to Yosĕph’s coat being dipped in blood, it is also used in describing the hyssop that was to be dipped in blood and then used to strike the lintel and the two doorposts, so that יהוה would pass over the door that had done this and not allow the destroyer to enter in!

It is also used in describing the work of the anointed priest, that would ‘dip’ his finger in the blood of the sin offering and sprinkle it seven times before יהוה, in front of the veil of the Set-Apart place.

We know that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin, hence it being sprinkled in front of the veil of the Set-Apart place!

But now, through the blood of Messiah, who, having offered one slaughter offering for sins for all time, has torn the veil, so that by His Blood we may come boldly to the throne of favour in our time of need!

But our access to His presence, begins with our repentance and immersion into His Name!

We know clearly from Scripture, that in order to eat of the Pěsaḥ (Passover) Meal, one has to be immersed in the Name of יהושע – that is – in the Name of יהוה our Saviour – The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl!

Shemoth/Exodus 12 & 13 gives us clear guidelines and instructions, in making it very clear, in teaching us that Passover and Unleavened Bread can only be partaken of by those who have been immersed in Messiah, and that these Feasts become a sign on our hands and foreheads forever!

Messiah made it clear that if we do not eat of His Flesh and drink of His blood, we possess no life in ourselves and have no part in Him, and He was clearly referring to the correct partaking of His Feasts, by which we can only have access into through our immersion in His Name – in the Name of The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl!

The reason for me highlighting this vital truth, is to truly unveil for you the power of our immersion in The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl, our Saviour!

Because, when we understand this, it becomes clear, that immersion cannot be something that is delayed for a true seeker of deliverance – He is our מִקְוֵה miqveh!!!

HE IS OUR EXPECTATION!

Timotiyos Aleph/1 Timothy 1:1 “Sha’ul, an emissary of יהושע Messiah, according to a command of Elohim our Saviour, and of the Master יהושע Messiah, our expectation”

The Greek word that is used here, in this introduction of Sha’ul’s letter to Timotiyos, is the word ἐλπίς elpis – Strong’s G1680 which means, ‘expectation or hope’, which I have already mentioned at the beginning of this message.

Having an expectation, or hope, in the Expectation of Yisra’ĕl, calls for a proper response, and a proper cleansing, that we must do:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 3:3 “And everyone having this expectation in Him cleanses himself, as He is clean.”

Romiyim/Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, having been declared right by belief, we have peace with Elohim through our Master יהושע Messiah, 2 through whom also we have access by belief into this favour in which we stand, and we exult in the expectation of the esteem of Elohim.”

The expectation of Yisra’ĕl is He, who is its foundation – that is – Messiah our Rock and Saviour!!!

As we consider the urgency, of the plea of Yirmeyahu given to יהוה, The Expectation of Yisra’ĕl, its Saviour, may we take warning to not be people who lack restraint and waver in opinions, but stand firm and steadfast in יהוה our Rock and Expectation – our מִקְוֵה miqveh!!!

Our Expectation – our מִקְוֵה miqveh, came in the flesh and was rejected and forsaken by most, while the remnant few received Him and were immersed in Him, committing their lives to being a steadfast priesthood that did not waver in compromise and kept themselves clean, in the cleansing that His immersion brings, and here is the call for us to do the same today!!!

“THE EXPECTATION OF YISRA’ĔL – Immersion unveiled!”

I hope that by this very brief study, on some very key Hebrew and Greek words, that a fuller understanding of immersion in the Name of our ONE EXPECTATION AND SAVIOUR is better understood, so that we do not defile the cleansing that He has brought us.

יהוה The Expectation – The מִקְוֵה miqveh – came to give us an everlasting cleansing for an eternal life in Him – do not waver in unbelief and do not lack restraint for your feet, which teaches us to not forsake the gathering of the set-apart ones, as some are in the habit of doing, teaching us to guard to keep His Sabbaths and Feasts as we should:

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 10:23-27 “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. 26 For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering for sins, 27 but some fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents.”

“THE EXPECTATION OF YISRA’ĔL – Immersion unveiled!”

How clean is your life?

Having been cleansed through immersion in Messiah, our מִקְוֵה miqveh, are you keeping clean, or have you wavered in compromise through sin and lawlessness?

Understanding this clear ‘unveiling of immersion’, let us hold firm to our Expectation and stay in Him, with feet having been cleansed and set on Him, our Rock!

Tehillah/Psalm 40:2 “And He drew me Out of the pit of destruction, out of the muddy clay, and He set my feet upon a rock, He is establishing my steps.”

יהוה is our מִקְוֵה miqveh – how true to His cleansing are you keeping?

“THE EXPECTATION OF YISRA’ĔL – Immersion unveiled!”

יהוה bless you and guard you, יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you, יהוה lift up His face upon you and give you peace, aměn!

Shabbat Shalom,

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Master, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Master.”

Be steadfast and immovable! The Greek word for ‘steadfast’ is ἑδραῖος hedraios – Strong’s G1476 which means, ‘steadfast, firm’, and comes from the word ἕδρα hedra which means, ‘seat, chair, base’, and therefore carries the understanding of being settled and steady. It us used metaphorically in referring to the mind and purpose of a man that is secure and firm!

The Greek word translated as ‘immovable’ is ἀμετακίνητος ametakinētos – Strong’s G277 which comes from two words: 1) – α alpha – Strong’s G1 used as a negative prefix, and 2) – μετακινέω metakineō – Strong’s G3334 which means, ‘to move away, removed’. In recognising that Messiah, having died for us, He has given us the overcoming through Himself and here Sha’ul then urges us to be firm in our position in our Master and not be moved from our steadfast position in our Master and Elohim, The Rock of our deliverance, as we sojourn here as faithful ambassadors of His coming reign! Being steadfast and immovable we are to make sure that we are not only doing what has been commanded but that we are always excelling in doing what has been commanded! To excel in something implies surpassing others and does not just give an average performance, but rather exceeds all standards! With Messiah making clear to us, through His life, death and resurrection, the full proclamation of the Torah and the Prophets, He calls us to a ‘higher standard’ if you will, or rather He calls us to excel still more – and this Sha’ul makes clear as he calls us to do so in:

Tas’loniqim Aleph/1 Thessalonians 4:1 “For the rest then, brothers, we beg you and call upon you in the Master יהושע, that as you received from us how you should walk and to please Elohim, you should excel still more”

We are not to simply just ‘go through the motions’ and try to do just enough to get by, so to speak. We are to excel in our set-apartness and to do so takes great effort and care and a continued stand of a firm and steadfast faith that is not moved by any form of compromise. In a message tonight called, ‘STEADFAST SOJOURNERS ARE NEVER MOVED!’, I want us to be greatly encouraged to keep our feet firmly planted on our Rock and Refuge, our chief cornerstone, יהושע Messiah! To do that I want us to take a look at a Psalm of Dawiḏ, who asks the clear question of who is standing firm! Please turn with me to Tehillah/Psalm 15 (read).

The title of this Tehillah/Psalm is מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד – ‘mizmor l’Dawiḏ’ – A Psalm of Dawiḏ!  The name of Dawiḏ – דָּוִד  – Strong’s H1732 means, ‘beloved’ and the term used for ‘psalm’ is מִזְמוֹר  miz’mor  – Strong’s H4210 meaning, ‘melody’ and it comes from the primitive root זָמַר  zamar – Strong’s H2167 meaning, ‘to make music (in praise of Elohim), sing praises’ and therefore could literally be rendered as, ‘a melody of the Beloved’.

This Tehillah is a powerful melody of the Beloved King asking a clear question of who is truly standing steadfast and firm on the Rock, and then makes clear the characteristics of what a true steadfast and firm sojourners is – one that is never moved!

As we take a look at some of the key words in this great melody we are able to see some wonderful pictures that we can link up with other texts, in giving us the great encouragement to endure and excel as immovable sojourners, with the full assurance that our Beloved Husband and King is coming for His faithful remnant Bride that has made herself ready!

The first question Dawiḏ asks here is, “Who does sojourn in your tent?” and then he asks, “who does dwell in your set-apart mountain?”. At first glance they may just seem like some very poetic words that sound nice, but there is a great deal more that is being expressed here, which we are able to find as we dig into some of these words contained in these two questions, questions that are still being asked by the clear mirror of the Word of Elohim to us who are sojourning here today!  Let us therefore take a closer look at the powerful pictures we are able to uncover from the basis of this melody of the beloved king.

The Hebrew wording for “who does sojourn” is מִי־יָגוּר – ‘miy – yagur’. The question ‘who’ is from the Hebrew word מִי mi – Strong’s H4310 which is an interrogative pronoun of persons meaning, ‘who, what whom, whomsoever’, and so this melody is calling for the true identity of the steadfast, and in the characteristics that are laid out herein, presents a wonderful interrogation of the soul of all who look intently into the mirror of the Word, as this melody lays down some very clear conditions that are given in regards to who it is that will have access into the Reign of Elohim! Many may claim to have access but are they really being steadfast and firm in their daily lives and perfecting the set-apartness of a true remnant Bride!

The Hebrew word translated as ‘sojourn’ is from the primitive root verb גּוּר gur – Strong’s H1481 which means, ‘to sojourn, abide, dwell, reside’, and the noun derived from this and often translated as ‘foreigner’ is גֵּר ger – Strong’s H1616 which means, ‘a sojourner, alien, immigrant, stranger’.  Kěpha appeals to us as ‘strangers and pilgrims’ to abstain from fleshly lusts which battle against our life (Kěpha Aleph/1 Peter 2:11), and we can only do this when our feet are firmly secure in our Rock and Master. We get a better understanding of this when we look at the this root word in the ancient pictographic form.

The ancient pictographic Hebrew alphabet the word גּוּר gur – Strong’s H1481 looks like this:

Gimel – גּ:

גּ – This is the letter ‘gimel’, which in the ancient script in pictured as –  –which is ‘a foot’  and carries the meaning to ‘walk, gather, carry’, as clearly referring to the functions of a foot. It can also give the meaning of ‘a gathering of people’, and we know that ‘feet’ in Hebrew often speaks of one’s walk and ability to keep the feasts of יהוה.

Vav – וּ:

 וּ – This is the letter ‘waw’ or ‘vav’ and the ancient pictographic form of this letter is , a peg or ‘tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.

Resh – ר:

ר – This is the letter ‘resh’- which in the ancient script is pictured as  –  – which is ‘the head of a man’ and carries the meaning of ‘top, beginning, first’, as in being the top of the body or the head of a tribe and the one who rules; and also speaks of possession or inheritance that is decided by the chief.

Looking at this word in terms of understanding our ability to ‘dwell’ as faithful ‘sojourners’, we are able to see that our walk has been secured by our Head and Master, יהושע Messiah.

This picture grouping speaks of ONE WHOSE FEET ARE SECURE IN THE HEAD!

In other words this can clearly represent for us those who are steadfast and immovable, as their feet are set on The Rock of deliverance and are not shaken when the storms come!

Tehillah/Psalm 62:2 “My being finds rest in Elohim alone; from Him is my deliverance. 2 He alone is my rock and my deliverance, my strong tower; I am not greatly shaken.”

Our rest is in our Rock, and as we stay in Him our feet shall not slip!

In the words of a song that Dawiḏ spoke on the day that יהוה delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and the hand of Sha’ul, he says:

Shemuʼěl Bět/2 Samuel 22:37 “You enlarge my step under me, so that my feet shall not slip.” (Also Tehillah/Psalm 18)

The question Dawiḏ is asking יהוה here is one of steadfastness – in what? In dwelling and walking in the tent of Elohim! The Hebrew word used here for ‘tent’ is אֹהֶל ohel – Strong’s H168 which means, ‘tent’ and is symbolic of wilderness life, and this is also the same word used for the Tabernacle. We see this word being used in:

Bemiḏbar/Numbers 24:5 “How good are your tents, O Yaʽaqoḇ, your dwellings, O Yisra’ĕl!”

The Hebrew word used here for ‘tents’ is the plural of the root word אֹהֶל ohel – Strong’s H168 and the root word used here for ‘dwellings’ is from the root word מִשְׁכָּן mishkan – Strong’s H4908 which comes from the root word שָׁכַן shaḵan – Strong’s H7931 which means, ‘to settle down, abide, dwell, establish, make or cause to dwell’. The term מִשְׁכָּן mishkan is used here in the plural sense, and we take note that this is the same word used in the singular for ‘The Tabernacle’. We take note that both these words – אֹהֶל ohel and מִשְׁכָּן mishkan are used for the Tabernacle and there is often the questioned raised of whether one represents the inner part of the Tabernacle while the other the outer, yet this cannot be definitively shown. What we do recognise however is that in the uses of these two words that are collectively used for the Tabernacle, we may be able to see that the אֹהֶל ohel is often the place where man/congregation meets with Elohim; whereas the מִשְׁכָּן mishkan may be likened to the expression of Elohim dwelling amidst the nation of Yisra’ĕl.

What we can possibly understand in these two words is that the אֹהֶל ohel pictures our sojourning here, as ‘in the tents of Ya’aqoḇ’, and how we have been given the Appointed Times/Feasts of יהוה for us to come and meet with Him, in the Tent of Appointment; whereas the מִשְׁכָּן mishkan pictures for us the fullness of the Dwelling of Elohim in our midst, when He shall come and be with us forever, and we shall be made to dwell with Him forever!

Dawiḏ is therefore asking first up, who is steadfast in sojourning in our Master – by the proper keeping of His Appointed Times, and in asking this question of stability and steadfastness we can also ask the opposite question of, ‘whose feet are slipping from obedience?’, or ‘who is neglecting to keep the Sabbaths and Feasts of יהוה?’. Who is perfecting set-apartness? In Dawiḏ’s second question he asks, ‘who does dwell in your set-apart mountain?’.

The Hebrew word used here for ‘dwell’ is not גּוּר gur, as in the first question, but is the root word שָׁכַן shaḵan – Strong’s H7931 which means, ‘to settle down, abide, dwell, establish, make or cause to dwell’, which I have already mentioned, from which the word מִשְׁכָּן mishkan – Strong’s H4908 is derived!

Notice the change in the two questions – first he asks יהוה who does dwell in His tent, while in the second he asks יהוה who shall dwell in His mountain! A tent and then a mountain! Tent speaks of temporal dwelling, as we sojourn here, while a mountain speaks of a permanence, where our Rock will dwell in our midst forever!

Shemoth/Exodus 29:45-46 “And I shall dwell in the midst of the children of Yisra’ĕl and shall be their Elohim. 46 “And they shall know that I am יהוה their Elohim, who brought them up out of the land of Mitsrayim, to dwell in their midst. I am יהוה their Elohim.”

The Hebrew word used twice here for ‘dwell’ is שָׁכַן shaḵan – Strong’s H7931, and we see this word used 3 times in Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 7 as we see the clear words of our Master and Elohim laying down the clear and specific requirements that must be met before He will come and dwell in our midst forever:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 7:3 “Thus said יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “Make your ways and your deeds good, then I let you dwell in this place.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 7:7 “then I shall let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 7:12 “But go now to My place at Shiloh, where I set My Name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of My people Yisra’ĕl.”

The reason I am mentioning these verses is to highlight our need to excel in our set-apartness in order that we may find ourselves having a permanent dwelling with our Master and Elohim! Our ways and deeds must be made good, which means that our walk and actions must be amended to walk in and do righteousness, exercise right-ruling and not walk after other mighty ones! In Verse 12 the word translated as ‘set’ is שָׁכַן shaḵan – Strong’s H7931, and in seeing that Shiloh is the place where יהוה set His Name at the first, we can get a greater insight in understanding and breaking open the melody of Dawiḏ! שִׁלֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7887 means, ‘place of rest’, and was a city in Ephrayim and was the temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle/Tent of Appointment. Understanding that Shiloh means place of rest, we can see how this further stresses that there still remains an entering into His rest for all the people of Elohim; yet those who are disobedient and lawless shall never enter His rest!

The first times that we see  the word שִׁלֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7887 being used in Scripture in reference to the place in Ephrayim is in Yehoshua/Joshua 18. Let us look at the first 3 verses of this chapter in Yehoshua:

Yehoshua/Joshua 18:1-3 “And all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl assembled at Shiloh, and they let the Tent of Appointment dwell there. And the land was subdued before them. 2 And seven tribes were left among the children of Yisra’ĕl who had not yet shared their inheritance. 3 So Yehoshua said to the children of Yisra’ĕl, “Till when are you going to fail to go in and possess the land which יהוה Elohim of your fathers has given you?”

Shiloh became the new home for the Tent of Appointment (ohel), instead of Gilgal. This is also the first time that the term אֹהֶל ohel – Strong’s H168 is used in the Book of Yehoshua/Joshua. Although we must understand that the Tent of Appointment would have been put up in Gilgal. Here in this verse we see the first use of the Hebrew word שָׁכַן shaḵan – Strong’s H7931 in this Book of Yehoshua/Joshua. Here the Tent of Appointment was ‘set up’ and signified a permanence, as the Tent of Appointment would remain here in Shiloh for 400 years, until Dawiḏ would come and move it to Yerushalayim! I find this a very interesting picture that is being presented to us within the pages of Scripture, as many would perhaps overlook this vital lesson that we see here. 400 years is a very long time for the Tent of Appointment to be at Shiloh, so what can we glean from this? Yehoshua here shadow pictures for us יהושע Messiah who leads us into His rest – at Shiloh were His Tent of Appointment remains for 400 years. 400 years is a significant number for us to consider as we see the words יהוה spoke to Aḇram, in:

Berěshith/Genesis 15:13 “And He said to Aḇram, “Know for certain that your seed are to be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years.”

400 years can clearly symbolise for us, according to Scriptural accounts, a period of affliction, whereby we need to excel in our steadfast commitment to perfecting our set-apartness, as we sojourn here as faithful ambassadors of the coming reign of Elohim, having the full assurance of His dwelling in our midst to be fulfilled when He comes again and takes us to His mountain. For now we are to ensure that we guard His Appointed Times and recognise that there still remains a entering into His rest and a proper Sabbath keeping for the people of Elohim. We are now called to ‘sojourn’ – that is to ‘dwell’ – גּוּר gur – Strong’s H1481 – keeping our feet secure in the Head, in His Tent – His אֹהֶל ohel – Strong’s H168, until He comes again and takes us to Yerushalayim where He will ‘dwell’ – שָׁכַן shaḵan – Strong’s H7931 with us and makes His מִשְׁכָּן mishkan – Strong’s H4908 – His ‘dwelling’ here with us forever! In the context of what we are discussing, Yehoshua pictures for us Messiah’s first coming – as a servant who would deliver us from bondage and cause us to enter into His rest and sojourn in Him amidst a time of affliction, and establish our walk in Him, securing our steps as we stay in Him, our Head, and keep His Sabbaths and Feasts, learning to hear His clear and wonderful voice!

Dawiḏ represents for us Messiah’s second coming – as our Beloved King who shall come and take us to His Set-Apart Mountain!

שִׁלֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7887, as I mentioned, was a city in Ephrayim, and as we know in Scripture Ephrayim is often used as a metaphor for the House of Yisra’ĕl – the scattered tribes. יהושע Messiah made it clear when He came in the flesh that He had only come for the lost sheep of Yisra’ĕl, and so Elohim pitched His Tent among us at His first coming:

Yoḥanan/John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we saw His esteem, esteem as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in favour and truth.”

As the remnant return – that of Ephrayim amongst whom the Tent of Elohim was pitched, we are able to faithfully enter into His rest as we walk steadfast and firm in His Torah and guard to keep His Appointed Times with joy as we excel in our set-apartness, which is His desire! With His tent pitched in Ephrayim, we take note that it will be the House of Yehuḏah that will come to the House of Yisra’ĕl and be gathered together in His tent that He will come and take to Yerushalayim and make His permanent dwelling with us!

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:18 “In those days the house of Yehuḏah shall go to the house of Yisra’ĕl, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers.”

This is a very encouraging, yet sobering reality – and that is that while many today will find themselves running to the Yehuḏim (Jews) for answers, thinking that they have the knowledge of the Set-Apart one, what we must realise is that the answers are with us!!! Messiah has pitched His tent in our midst and The House of Yehuḏah need to know Messiah and His Voice, which we have, and we need to be ready to receive the returning Yehuḏim, and make known to them that יהוה, our Elohim and Rock of our Deliverance, has pitched His tent in our midst and given us His Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance, and that we can walk in Him and stay in Him and be steadfast sojourners that are never moved!

What is also worth noting is that the word שִׁלֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7887 is used in Scripture as a noun and proper location, and is related to the noun שִׁילֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7886 which means, ‘he who it is, that which belongs to him, tranquil’, and is used only once as a reference to Messiah in:

Berěshith/Genesis 49:10 “The sceptre shall not turn aside from Yehuḏah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to Him is the obedience of peoples.”

You will notice that the term שִׁילֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7886 as a prophetic reference to Messiah, has an extra letter in this word compared to the place שִׁלֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7887, which is the letter ‘yod’ (י), used in the word which is prophetically used as a reference to Messiah. In the ancient script this letter is pictured as , which is the picture of an arm and hand and represents the meaning of ‘work, throw’, which are the functions of the arm and hand, and clearly shadow pictures for us the outstretched Arm and Hand of Elohim that would come and pitch His tent among us and work deliverance for us, and cause us to enter into His Rest!

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our report? And to whom was the arm of יהוה revealed?”

In Yoḥanan/John 12:38 this text is quoted in referencing how many did not believe in Messiah, even though he did many signs before them! Messiah is שִׁילֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7886 – the one to whom the sceptre belongs, and when He came and pitched His tent among us, the sceptre was turned aside from Yehuḏah, for שִׁילֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7886 had now come! Again I reiterate that while Yehuḏah have been blinded in part so that the completeness of the nations can come in (Romiyim/Romans 11:25), we recognise that it is us to whom the Arm of elohim has been revealed that have the Truth in our midst! In Berěshith/Genesis 48:19 we are told in the blessing that Ya’aqoḇ gave Ephrayim was that his seed would become the completeness of the nations! Why I am highlighting this is to clearly show that it is we, Ephrayim, that the arm of Elohim has been revealed and we have His Tent אֹהֶל ohel – Strong’s H168 among us, where we can enter into His rest as we guard and keep His Sabbaths and Appointed Times, and we do not need to run to the ‘blinded’ Yehuḏim (Jews) for knowledge. We must be ready to receive Yehuḏah and teach them who שִׁילֹה Shiloh – Strong’s H7886 is, so that they too, as natural olive branches) can enter into His rest and be grafted back in to the Covenants of promise.

As we look at the text in Yehoshua/Joshua 18 we see in verse 2 that not all the tribes had been assigned their inheritance. In fact 7 tribes had not yet received their allotted inheritance, and in Scripture we take note that the number 7 is often understood in symbolising completion. What we see here is the clear picture that the 12 tribes (13 in fact) had not yet fully inherited their allotment and this pictures for us a kingdom that was not yet complete, therefore  יהוה could not yet fully dwell in their midst until everything that had defiled the land had been removed. This is a clear picture of Bride that is not yet ready, and is not a Bride without spot or blemish! The time has come for the Bride to get cleaned up so that our Husband and King can come for a ready and complete Bride!

In verse 3 of Yehoshua/Joshua 18 he basically asks the question that needs to be asked to many today, “How long are you going to fail at getting ready?” When Dawiḏ asks, “Who does sojourn in your tent?”, he is basically asking the same question to all of us today, as we look intently into the mirror of the Word! Who is really getting ready and who is procrastinating? The second question of who dwells in the set-apart mountain is obvious – those who have been steadfast sojourners that are never moved! So who are they?

The answer is clearly revealed in the rest of this Tehillah/Psalm 15.

The one who walks blamelessly!

We know that the Hebrew word for ‘walk’ is הָלַךְ halaḵ – Strong’s H1980 which carries the meaning, ‘to walk, to live, manner of life, cause to live’ and literally speaks of how one lives, and the word translated as ‘blamelessly’ is תָּמִים  tamiym – Strong’s H8549 meaning, ‘complete, whole, sound, perfect, without blemish, blameless’, and comes from the primitive root word תָּמַם tamam – Strong’s H8552 meaning, ‘to be complete, to be finished, be at an end’. This term can also have the meaning, ‘to be upright, totally obedient, to finish what was started and have a constant obedience.

The one who does righteousness!

The Hebrew word for ‘does’ is פָּעַל paal – Strong’s H6466 which means, ‘do, make, accomplish, perform’, and from this root we get the word פֹּעַל poal – Strong’s H6467 which means, ‘doing, deed, work, activity, wages, what you have done’, which is used in reference to our Rock, in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are right-ruling, An Ěl of truth and without unrighteousness, Righteous and straight is He.”

Notice that His work is ‘perfect’ – tamiym – Strong’s H8549! Righteous and straight is He! The Hebrew word for ‘righetsouness’ is צֶדֶק tseḏeq – Strong’s H6664 which means, ‘righteous, just, righteousness’. We are told in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 6:25 “And it is righteousness for us when we guard to do all this command before יהוה our Elohim, as He has commanded us.”

We who stay in Him and גּוּר gur – Strong’s H1481 (sojourn) – having our feet secure in our Head – must too walk blamelessly and do righteousness at all times, never being moved by compromise and sin!

The one who sojourns speaks truth in his heart!

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, having put off the false, speak truth, each one with his neighbour, for we are members of one another.”

Zeḵaryah/Zechariah 8:16 “These are the words you should do: speak the truth to one another, judge with truth and right-ruling for peace in your gates.”

Qolasim/Colossians 3:8-9 “But now, also put off all these: displeasure, wrath, evil, blasphemy, filthy talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have put off the old man with his practices”

Not slandered with his tongue!

What is interesting to take note of here is that the word used for ‘slandered’ here is רָגַל ragal – Strong’s H7270 which is a denominative verb meaning, ‘go on foot, spy out, slander’, and comes from the root word רֶגֶל regel – Strong’s H7272 which means ‘a foot/feet or to walk’. Feet, in Scripture, is often used to describe the path that one walks in and submits to and obeys, and typically speaks of one’s obedience to walking according to the commands of Elohim and obeying His call to keep His feasts as commanded, as we take note that this word is also translated as ‘times’ in:

Shemoth/Exodus 23:14 “Three times in the year you are to observe a festival to Me.”

רָגַל ragal – Strong’s H7270 is used 24 times in Scripture and is mostly used in reference to ‘spying’, and is only used twice in reference to slandering or backbiting. I see this as a great play on words, especially when asking the question of who is walking as they should! Here, slandering with the tongue can picture for us those who are rendering a lip service only! Many will talk the walk but refuse to walk the talk, so to speak!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 15:8 “This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and respect Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”

To slander with the tongue can speak of many who profess to know Messiah yet He does not know them, and their confession without proper works of set-apartness actually slanders Messiah, by not guarding to walk in His Torah, keep His Sabbaths and Feasts and by not setting their feet firmly upon the Rock!

Dawiḏ goes on and expresses the true steadfast sojourner is one who loves יהוה, and this is seen in how he loves his neighbour, for this one is known by Elohim and knows Elohim:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and guard His commands.”

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 2:9-10 “The one who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother stays in the light, and there is no stumbling-block in him.”

A true sojourner does not look down on others, and gives great weight to those who fear יהוה. He also does not swear falsely and performs his oaths to יהוה, not changing his mind when it doesn’t suit him anymore. In other words a true steadfast sojourner walks in integrity – something that is often lacking in the body of Messiah today! A true sojourner does not deal shrewdly with money and does not try to cut corners in doing what is required!

The one who stands steadfast in the Master and keeps their feet secure in Him our Head, is never moved!

The Hebrew word translated as ‘moved’ is מוֹט mot – Strong’s H4131 which means, ‘removed, to waver, slip, fall, shake, totter’. We who trust in יהוה shall never be ‘shaken’ and never waver or slip or fall, or even totter as we stand firm in the Truth! Those who are trusting and never shaken shall inherit the earth, while those who waver shall not dwell in the earth.

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 10:30 “The righteous is never shaken, while the wrong shall not dwell in the earth.”

The Hebrew word used here for ‘dwell’ in Mishlĕ/Proverbs 10:30 is שָׁכַן shaḵan – Strong’s H7931, which further confirms that there is no permanent dwelling here for the wrong, while the steadfast sojourners and never moved and will inherit the earth and dwell with our Rock and Mighty Deliverer – יהושע Messiah!!!

What is also worth taking note of in this ‘melody of the Beloved’ given to us in Tehillah/Psalm 15 is that we are able to see a clear picture of us being dressed as faithful sojourners who are armed in the Truth of the Word and serving as a faithful priesthood! From this Tehillah/Psalm we are able to see a couple of aspects or references to clear pictures of how we are to be dressed in service of our King! As we consider the ‘Armour of Elohim’ that we are told to put on and stand fast in, in Eph’siyim/Ephesians 6, we take note that this armour is clearly likened to the priestly garments used in the Tabernacle, which I have spoken of in the past. In this Tehillah/Psalm 15 we are able to see 3 parts of this armour, if you will, and that is ‘the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth and feet of peace’. These 3 aspects are clearly being echoed here in this Tehillah! Why then no sword, shield or helmet? Well this Tehillah is speaking of ‘dwelling’ in the presence of our Master and in is Tabernacle and the helmet, shield and sword are certainly pieces of the armour we are to stand girded in as we sojourn in Him, yet as we enter into His rest and come into His presence we see that the offensive weapons are not needed inside His permanent dwelling, yet we must always be fully dressed in His righteousness and truth and be at rest in Him, filled with His Shalom! This in no way teaches us to not take up the complete armour, for we recognise that Dawiḏ is prophetically speaking of those who will enter the reign of Elohim and go to His set-apart mountain – and it is those who are faithful sojourners here in His tent! As we sojourn and wait expectantly for His soon return we must be clothed in the complete armour! This melody of the beloved is call to set-apartness and reveals the clear reward for those who set themselves apart – a permanent dwelling with our Rock and King!

As we consider this melody of the beloved, and look intently into the mirror of the Word, let me ask you how you are ‘dwelling’? How secure are your feet in יהושע Messiah, our Head? Have you been moved and shaken by afflictions and troubles? Have you been moved from your steadfast position due to compromise when a little heat came your way?

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in יהוה, and whose trust is יהוה. 8 “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his leaf shall be green, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit.”

Recognising our need to be faithful and steadfast sojourners that are never moved, I urge you all to be urgent in excelling still more in perfecting set-apartness, as we ‘dwell’ – that is sojourn here as strangers and pilgrims and abstain from fleshly lusts which battle against our life, knowing that our labour in the Master is not in vain, as we faithfully wait for Him to take us to His set-apart mountain!

Kěpha tells us to do our utmost to add to our belief uprightness, to uprightness knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control endurance, to endurance reverence, to reverence brotherly affection, and to brotherly affection love, and he tells us in:

Kěpha Bět/2 Peter 1:10-11 “For this reason, brothers, all the more do your utmost to make firm your calling and choosing, for if you are doing these matters you shall never stumble at all, 11 for in this way an entrance into the everlasting reign of our Master and Saviour יהושע Messiah shall be richly supplied to you.”

STEADFAST SOJOURNERS ARE NEVER MOVED! – HOW SECURE ARE YOU?

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!!!

Shabbat Shalom all,

Mattithyahu/Matthew 6:24 “No one is able to serve two masters, for either he shall hate the one and love the other, or else he shall cleave to the one and despise the other. You are not able to serve Elohim and mammon.^”

Our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah, made it very clear to us that no one is able to serve Him and still try to serve the desires and lusts of the flesh and the chasing after wealth! The word ‘mammon’ is of Aramaic origin, rendered in Greek as μαμωνᾶς mamōnas – Strong’s G3126 meaning, ‘wealth, riches’, where it is personified and is directly opposed to Elohim. It is a comprehensive word used for all kinds of possessions, earnings, and gains, or a designation of material value, and is personified as the mighty one of materialism.

Messiah continues on from these words and tells us not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink, or about our body, what we will put on, and encourages us to recognise that He knows what we need and that we are to seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added to us, as the Father knows what we need! Sadly we find the ‘needs of the life and body’ often consume a person to the point where they end up chasing wealth in order to satisfy their worries of tomorrow, which we are told not to worry about as today has enough evil of itself. In the process of placing emphasis on material things many become distracted from their need to be seeking the reign of Elohim and His righteousness; and in the process they lack the required zeal for complete set-apartness and allow compromise to become an acceptable norm in their daily lives, while assuming that they are indeed true worshippers of Elohim, yet when measured up against the clear plumb-line of the Truth, they are simply found to be mediocre half-hearted wanna-be believers that arrogantly claim that they have no need to change their lives and walk in the called for set-apartness unto Elohim. One day they will be extremely zealous to do what is right and seek Elohim with their all, especially when things are not going their way, while the next day (or month) they drift away from serving as they should and fall into a compromised state that they are unable to recognise as being wrong, and carry on in their mediocre attempt at worshipping our Master and Elohim! Circumstances will often play a huge role in determining their acts of worship, or their lack thereof. Tonight in a message called, ‘HOT OR COLD – NO HALF MEASURES ACCEPTABLE!’, I would like us to hear the clear words of our Master and Elohim, in a clear warning given to those who are lukewarm as we look at the message given to the assembly in Laodikeia. Please turn with we to  Ḥazon/Revelation 3:14-22 (Read)

Before we dig a little deeper into the words of this message I thought that it would be best to give a little more detail about this city of Laodikeia, which will help us to further understand the clear rebuking words given to the believers here from a loving Saviour!

Λαοδίκεια Laodikeia – Strong’s G2993 means, ‘justice of the people’, which comes from two words: 1) – λαός laos – Strong’s G2992 which means, ‘people, nation, tribe’, and 2) – δίκη dike – Strong’s G1349 which means, ‘vengeance, judgement, punishment, penalty’. The people of this city were certainly receiving a clear penalty and judgement that would come for their lukewarmness, along with an urgent call to be ardent and repent so that they could dine with the Master and rule with Him or risk being vomited out for being mediocre and lukewarm!

Laodikeia was a city that was situated some 80km SE of Philadelphia. The city was originally known as Diospolis, which means, ‘city of Zeus’, and then became Rhoas and finally received its name from Antiochus II in honour of his wife Laodice. There were several cities with that name but this was distinguished by the addition of “on the Lycas”, as it was built on the river lycas. It was approximately 17km west of Colossae and 10 km south of Hierapolis and 160km east of Ephesos.

It was a very wealthy city, with its trade consisting mainly in the manufacture of glossy black wool from the unique “black sheep of Laodikeia”, as well as its production of their world famous eye salve that was developed from a rock in the area and crushed into a pulp and made into a salve. There was a large medical centre that was noted for its study of the structure, functions and diseases of the eye. This eye salve was distributed worldwide to cure eye and ear diseases and infections. This city was also an important centre for banking and exchange, being situated on the main roads linking Ephesos and Asia. The area was very prone to earthquakes, like Sardis, and when it was destroyed in 60 C.E., Emperor Nero offered to rebuild the city, but refusing his help by stating that they were rich and not in need of aid, they declined imperial assistance to rebuild the city and restored it from their own means. The site had one disadvantage – being determined primarily by the road systems, it lacked sufficient and permanent supply of good water. Water was piped from the Hot Springs of Hierapolis that was nearby and it arrived lukewarm, and being full of minerals which made people nauseous. The water that was piped to Laodikeia was rich with calcium, which over time would cause the pipes to clog, and needed to be cleaned on a regular basis. Hierapolis  was widely known for its healing hot springs and pools. There were many natural hot baths in homes as well as gigantic natural hot public baths which attracted people from all over to come to a city known for its healing powers and many came to the hot baths seeking cure for arthritis and other ailments and diseases.

Hierapolis  was also a centre for the false worship of the roman emperor Domitian who was one of the first emperors to declare himself divine. A large gate and entrance to the city was built in honour of Domitian and like most city gates of the ancient world, the gates of the Hierapolis expressed the people’s devotion to their deities or rulers. Thus anyone who entered the Domitian Gate was in a sense acknowledging that Domitian was their mighty one who was their provider and protector and whom they would honour and obey above all others.

This would have certainly caused a great deal of distress for early believers who would clearly have to choose to serve and worship Caesar (in this case Domitian) or יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

Hierapolis was also the site of the Apollo Temple and Plutonium, where their mighty one of music, prophecy, and light was worshiped. Inside the temple, a grand fountain called Nymphia was a constant reminder to the people that Apollo was supposed to be their source of life. Next to the temple was a mysterious hole in the ground known as the Plutonium, the Devil’s Hole, or the Gates of Hades. It was believed to be an entrance to the underworld where Pluto (Latin) or Hades (Greek) lived. Poisonous gases emanated from the hole and instantly killed any animals that wandered in. But the priests of Apollo, who apparently held their breath or had some other means of breathing fresh air, amazed the people by going into the hole and coming out again unharmed, seeming to have power over death.

In contrast to Hierapolis, the ancient city of Colossae was known for its cold water and was built at the foot of Mt. Cadmus, which towered more than nine thousand feet high. Colossae was known for a peculiar wool of purple colour called collossinus and for its many ice-cold snow-and-rain-fed streams that rushed down from the snow-covered peak of Mt. Cadmus. People in the fertile Lycus River Valley commonly talked about this wonderful, invigorating water. 

Founded several hundreds of years before the Hierapolis, Colossae’s inhabitants worshiped many false mighty ones, including Artemis, Athena, and Demeter. The city was in serious decline by the time of Sha’ul and Yoḥanan because of the growth of Laodicea and Hierapolis, and in his letter to Colossae Sha’ul expresses his urgent concern for Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodikeia. It was the home of his friend Pileymon/Philemon, and his slave Onesimus.

Qolasim/Colossians 2:1 “For I wish you to know what a great struggle I have for you and those in Laodikeia, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh”

Qolasim/Colossians 4:13 “For I bear him witness that he has a deep concern for you, and for those who are in Laodikeia and those in Hierapolis.”

The people here also worshipped ‘heavenly messengers’ (angels) and even believed that Michael, the chief messenger, saved them from a flood, and Sha’ul warned the believers here to not be led astray in false worship of messengers:

Qolasim/Colossians 2:18 “Let no one deprive you of the prize, one who takes delight in false humility and worship of messengers, taking his stand on what he has not seen, puffed up by his fleshly mind”

During the first century, the city of Laodikeia was the richest and most powerful of the three cities. Despite its prosperity, however, Laodikeia had a serious problem. Its water, unlike the healing hot springs of Hierapolis or the fresh, cold mountain water of Colossae, was lukewarm and full of minerals. It tasted so bad that it made people sick.

In understanding this region a little better and the various waters that existed within close proximity to each other we are able to see a clearer meaning to the words that Yoḥanan was told to speak to the believers at Laodikeia. In a manner of speaking the words of our Master could have clearly expressed the following:

“If you were hot, like the springs of Hierapolis, you’d be zealous for me and bring healing, restoration, and comfort to people who suffer. If you were cold, like the water in Colossae, you’d refresh and encourage people who are hurting. Instead, you are lukewarm. You don’t do anyone any good and you make me sick – just like your own water.”

Let us take heed to this clear rebuke and warning given here and take a closer look at some of Greek words we find in this text. First up we must take note of the introduction, as it carries with it a clear message, as does each introduction that is given to each of the 7 assemblies, as it makes a clear identification to the hearers of these words who it is that is speaking to them:

The Aměn, the Trustworthy and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of Elohim

יהושע Messiah clearly introduces Himself firstly as The Aměn, and makes a clear and vital statement here! The people here were serving their own fleshly desires and relied upon their own wealth and support, and by default were not worshipping Elohim but were worshipping mammon. Mammon, as mentioned earlier, is a word of Aramaic origin which is thought to possibly come from the root verb אָמַן aman – Strong’s H539 which means, ‘to confirm, support, believe, trustworthy’, and basically speaks about the one in which you put your trust! Is it in wealth and riches of the world or is it in our Mighty Master and Elohim – The Aměn? In Yeshayahu Aměn is used as a clear reference to a title of Elohim as we see in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 65:16 “so that he who blesses himself in the earth does bless himself in the Elohim of truth. And he who swears in the earth does swear by the Elohim of truth. Because the former distresses shall be forgotten, and because they shall be hidden from My eyes.”

The Hebrew word translated here as ‘truth’ and in other translations as ‘trustworthiness’ is the adverb אָמֵן aměn– Strong’s H543 which means, ‘truly, verily, truth, so be it’, and from the root verb we get the Hebrew word for ‘truth’ which is אֱמוּנָה emunah – Strong’s H530 which means, ‘firmness, steadfastness, faithfulness, stability, trust, truthful’. יהושע Messiah was making it clear here to the believers in Laodikeia that He is the True One who is to be trusted and who is faithful and trustworthy!

In Bemiḏbar/Number 5:11-31 we are given the Torah of jealousy, whereby the accused woman would have to say ‘aměn, aměn’ (verse 22) to acknowledge that she has heard and accepts what has been spoken and written.

After hearing the effect of the curse that would come upon the woman if she was guilty, she would say, ‘Aměn, aměn’, which was an acknowledgment and acceptance of what was being proclaimed, and therefore making the clear statement that what had been spoken was understood! The believers in Laodikeia were getting the clear words of our Master that were to be clearly understood, and having been rebuked they were now severely warned that if they would not repent and change they would be destroyed – for the Truth has been spoken and made clear!

Aměn is also often translated as ‘trust’; and so we see that to trust or believe implies an action and not just a thought; but rather in one’s acknowledgment of what has been written in the Word, the confirmation of one’s ‘aměn’ implies that there will be an active trust and belief in doing what the Word says!

יהושע asks the question in Luqas/Luke 18:8 whether He would find belief on the earth when He comes again – in other words, when He comes again – will he find people who are actively obeying His commands, calling on His Name, keeping His Feasts, living according to His dietary instructions and walking according to His Torah etc.

So many people today use the term ‘aměn’ very loosely and yet they do not understand what this implies and signifies!

In the ancient script the Hebrew word אָמֵן aměn – Strong’s H543 looks like:

Aleph – אָ:

The ancient pictographic script has this letter pictured as , which is ‘the head of an ox’, and represents ‘strength’, meaning ‘muscle’ as the ox is the strongest of the livestock animals. This also carries the meaning of ‘yoke’, as an ox is placed in a yoke in order to plough or pull a heavy load in the right direction. This can also picture for us the ‘red heifer’ sacrifice that יהושע Messiah fulfilled!

Mem – מֵ:

The ancient pictographic script has this letter pictured as , which is ‘water’, and also carries the meaning of ‘chaos’ (from the storms of the sea) and can also picture that which is mighty or massive as well as the unknown. We are also able to understand this letter as representing the nations, for the nations are often likened to the seas in Scripture. This also pictures that which washes and we know that The Word is likened to the Living Waters that cleanse, as represented in the water that was used in the Tabernacle, which the priests would, from the water in the bronze laver, wash their hands and feet with.

Nun – ן:

The ancient pictographic script has this letter pictured as , which pictures a ‘sprouting seed’ and gives the idea of continuation or an offspring or an heir, speaking of that which sprouts forth will be the heir of the promise of continuation, and represents one’s life expectancy.

There are a few powerful pictures that we are able to interpret from the pictographic construction of this word אָמֵן aměn, especially as we acknowledge and confirm our acceptance of the Word of our Master and Elohim, and that He is the Aměn. 

Messiah, our Head and our strength, has come and given us His easy yoke, as He passed through the waters in order to wash us and redeem us from the chaos of sin, as He is The Seed of the Promise that was born of a maiden (virgin), and in our immersion in Him we are given life and the assurance of our expectation of everlasting life, as co-heirs of the promise!

The waters of Laodikeia could not cleanse them of their worldly ways – only the True Aměn – The Elohim of Truth can cleanse and restore – but those who do not become ardent and repent will find themselves being vomited out of the presence of the true Aměn – the One in whom we are to trust!

While many are saying aměn today, in their ‘assumed innocence’, they are simply ‘puffed up’ in a falsely twisted knowledge as they have whored away from the Truth, and are wasting away in their sin/lawlessness; while those who are indeed a faithful remnant who endure in their confession of faith in the Master, as seen in their belief with works of obedience, shall indeed be found to have the seed of His Word firmly planted in – the seed that will cause the faithful to inherit everlasting life, when the Master comes in the day of His visitation! 

Sha’ul was right to be concerned about the believers here, as they were being greatly influenced by the world’s ways and desire for riches that do not profit, and the reliance of self, which as a result caused them to become lukewarm in their belief! The Greek word for ‘lukewarm’ is χλιαρός chliaros – Strong’s G5513 which means, ‘tepid, lukewarm’, and is used in Scripture as a metaphor for the condition of the soul that wretchedly fluctuates between apathy, or lack of interest, and a fervour or zeal for the true love of Elohim. In other words this is used a metaphor for people who continually change from being unconcerned for spiritual matters and grow cold in their obedience to being very passionate and on fire for the truth! To be lukewarm does not necessarily mean to be stuck in the middle so to speak or be indecisive, but can also represent a continued fluctuation between compromise and obedience!!! Many claiming believers today are indeed lukewarm, which is often more difficult to overcome than being completely alienated from the Truth, for the half-hearted are vomited out!

The Greek word for ‘hot’ is ζεστός zestos – Strong’s G2200 which means, ‘boiling hot’, and is used as a metaphor for ‘fervour of mind, and zeal’, and comes from the root verb ζέω zeō – Strong’s G2204 which means, ‘to be hot, fervent, have a zeal for what is good or bad, to boil’, and is equivalent to the Hebrew word קָנָא qanah – Strong’s H7065 meaning, ‘to be jealous or zealous, be envious, ardent’. Sha’ul tells us to be ardent in spirit:

Romiyim/Romans 12:11 “not idle in duty, ardent in spirit, serving the Master”

One can be ‘hot’ or zealous for that which is good or what is evil, and so we are able to see that while we are encouraged and instructed to be ardent ‘hot’ for the Master is serving Him in Spirit and Truth, we also recognise that there are many who are ‘hot’ for doing evil:

Miḵah/Micah 7:2-3 “The kind one has perished from the earth, and there is no one straight among men. All of them lie in wait for blood, everyone hunts his brother with a net. 3 Both hands are on the evil, to do it well. The prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man speaks the desire of his being. And they weave it together.”

Just as many of the inhabitants in Heliopolis were ‘hot’ for their false mighty ones, we must take heed to be ‘hot’ and zealous for the Truth and cling to our Master – The Aměn!

Romiyim/Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Shrink from what is wicked, cling to what is good.”

The Greek word for ‘cold’ is ψυχρός psuchros – Strong’s G5593 and is understood as being a metaphor for ‘sluggishness’, and comes from the verb ψύχω psuchō – Strong’s G5594 which means, ‘wax cold’ and is used as a metaphor for waning love, as seen in:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 24:12 “And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold.”

This word is also used to represent the giving of sustenance and refreshment to the needy:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 10:42 “And whoever gives one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a taught one, truly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Here we are therefore able to see a twofold meaning of the term ‘cold’, and in reference to being cold, in that the people were growing cold due to lawlessness and sin, they began relying on themselves and had no need for their trust to be in The Aměn as they trusted in their own means!

The believers or rather lukewarm believers said that they were rich enough and were clearly arrogant in their claims to be self-made businessmen who did not need anyone’s assistance or guidance; and they showed no praise for Elohim who is the one who gives us the ability to get wealth:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 8:18 “But you shall remember יהוה your Elohim, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is today.”

They assumed that they were in no need, as they relied on worldly possessions and positions of prominence in the world to determine their success, and Ephrayim, in speaking of the scattered tribes of the House of Yisra’ĕl, used the same words:

Hoshěa/Hosea 12:8 “And Ephrayim says, “Indeed, I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself. In all my labours they shall find in me no crookedness that is sin.”

When people’s eyes are fixed on materialism they are unable to see clearly and are unaware and blind to their crookedness and sin, thinking that they are blessed and have the wealth to prove it! Messiah makes it clear to these lukewarm believers that they were focused on the wrong things and were putting their trust in their own riches which can never save!

Sha’ul tells us clearly in:

Pilipiyim/Philippians 4:19 “And my Elohim shall fill all your need according to His riches in esteem by Messiah יהושע.”

יהושע tells us clearly in Yoḥanan/John 15:5-6 that without Him we are able to do nought, and if anyone does not stay in Him they are thrown away and are burned!! The words given here to Laodikeia are no different – if you think you are fine on your own – well then I have news for you…!!!

Wretched, pitiable, poor blind and naked!!! This assembly had become proud and measured things by human standards instead of spiritual values. They may have had beautiful clothes but יהושע urged them to wear white robes of righteousness which would cover their spiritual nakedness, in contrast to the famous black wool garments from the region. He then exhorted them to put salve on their eyes, and this was not the salve common to the city but rather the ‘heavenly eye salve’ – that is the ointment of the spiritual matters that are from above that can only be spiritually discerned. These people were living in a fool’s paradise and were blind to reality – pretty much the state of many claiming believers today.

The Greek word for ‘blind’ is τυφλός  tuphlos – Strong’s G5185 which can mean, ‘to be physically or mentally blind’, and comes from the word τυφόω  tuphoō – Strong’s G5187 which means, ‘to be conceited, foolish, arrogance, vanity, to be lifted up with pride, high-minded’. It can also render the understanding of being enveloped with smoke and blinded so as not to see.

Luqas/Luke 12:15 “And He said to them, “Mind, and beware of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the excess of his possessions.”

The word ‘mind’ in this warning given is the word ὁράω  horaō – Strong’s G3708 which means, ‘to see, perceive, attend to, take heed, see with the mind, beware, to see as in becoming acquainted with by experience’, and we are to take heed that we do not fall prey to the corruption of man’s rules and regulations regarding a form of worship that runs contrary to the Truth and watch out that we don’t get sucked into the need to gain possessions – because our life does not consist in the excess of possessions!

יהושע came to bring us a recovery of sight – by manifesting the very Truth in the Flesh, separating the light from the dark:

Luqas/Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of יהוה is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to bring the Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away crushed ones with a release, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה.”

The word for ‘recovery of sight’ is ἀνάβλεψις  anablepsis – Strong’s G309 and comes from the word ἀναβλέπω  anablepō – Strong’s G308 which means, ‘to look up, recover sight’, and comes from the word βλέπω  blepō – Strong’s G991 which means, ‘to see, to look at, beware, take heed, perceive’.

When we understand these words in their original meanings it further helps us understand that Messiah came to take away the smokescreen of tradition and man-made dogmas, and then we are able to clearly understand the words of Sha’ul in:

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 3:16 “And when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.”

When one turns and looks intently into the Light all darkness is taken away! He came to recover our sight and cause us to take heed and see His Good News and be able to see with טוֹב  toḇ – that is ‘good and functional’ – eyes!

Kěpha teaches us that when a believer is not growing in the Master, their spiritual vision is affected (Kěpha Bět/2 Peter 1: 5-9), and they are ‘blind’ and short-sighted and have forgotten that they have been cleansed from old sins.

‘Diet’ has bearing on the condition of one’s eyesight, in a spiritual sense and a physical one, and if people do not want to ‘eat’ of the Truth and partake of the Table of the Master by keeping His Sabbaths and Feasts then they are blinded by traditions and the delusion of lawlessness! יהושע rebukes this assembly, and with this being the Living Word of Elohim, continues to rebuke the lukewarm today, as He stands at the door and knocks waiting for true hearers to open the door so that He may come in and dine with them. This, as we know is a great metaphor for us gathering on His Appointed Times and ensuring that we never neglect the gathering of the Set-Apart Ones! In many ways, we are able to clearly see as a direct pattern throughout Scripture that the Sabbath is key to us understanding the Truth, and that the keeping of the Sabbath is the ‘door’ to unlocking the great pearls of wisdom in the Word! Messiah is the Door, and He is the Master of the Sabbath, and those who stubbornly refuse to open the door of the Sabbath – that is to say that those who refuse to guard and keep the Sabbath, will be vomited out, despite their vain confessions of sufficiency in their lukewarm systems of corrupted worship!

יהושע reproves those He loves:

Ḥazon/Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. So be ardent and repent.”

The Greek word translated as ‘reprove’ is the verb ἐλέγχω elegchō – Strong’s G1651 which means, ‘to expose, convict, reprove, reprimanded, rebuke’, and the noun that comes from this verb is ἔλεγχος elegchos – Strong’s G1650 which means, ‘reproof, test, conviction’, and is used in:

Timotiyos Bět/2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work.”

It is through the loud and clear call of wisdom that we must hear and respond to the reproof of Elohim given to us through His Scripture – that is His complete Word and not just the parts of it that many pick and choose in order to have their ears tickled!

Sha’ul was also very clear in instructing us to reprove those who are out of line:

Timotiyos Aleph/1 Timothy 5:20 “Reprove those who are sinning, in the presence of all, so that the rest also might fear.”

We are to also reprove the works of darkness:

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 5: 11-13 “And have no fellowship with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of what is done by them in secret. 13 But all matters being reproved are manifested by the light, for whatever is manifested is light.”

We need to exercise boldness and unfeigned humility when we reprove another; and today there seems to be a mental block against proper reproof for fear of offending another when correcting their behaviour, yet we need to learn to do so with love and respect, in order that we can build one another up in the Most Set-Apart faith!

Titos/Titus 2:15 “Speak these matters, urge, and reprove with all authority. Let no one despise you.”

Reproof must always be done on the basis of the pure plumb line of the Word and not on a twisted interpretation that diminishes the Word! We must not reprove another just because we do not like the way they do things, things that are not against the Torah, but must exercise proper discernment in distinguishing the set-apart and profane and when one’s actions are not set-apart but are rather profaning the Truth, then we must boldly reprove the one in error so that they learn to fear יהוה. We will not be able to reprove with all authority if we ourselves do not receive the reproof, correction and training in righteousness that the Word brings.

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 12:7-11 “If you endure discipline, Elohim is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become sharers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Moreover, we indeed had fathers of our flesh disciplining us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they indeed disciplined us for a few days as seemed best to them, but He does it for our profit, so that we might share His apartness. 11 And indeed, no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but grievous, but afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Often hot is understood as “to be for Elohim” and cold “to be against Elohim”, but in this instance I see both hot and cold as being good and functional, while fluctuating between the two as being abominable!!! As already mentioned, hot and cold can also be understood in the negative sense, yet what is clearly an abominable attempt at worship is the fluctuation between being zealous for doing what is good and true and being riddled with compromise and allowing obedient love for Elohim to grow cold due to lawlessness and sin!

יהושע may say, “I want you to be zealous for me”  – be the ‘Pineḥas’ of our day – remember Pineḥas who turned back the wrath of Elohim from the children of Yisra’ĕl, because he was ardent with יהוה’s ardour in their midst and he rose up from among the congregation and took a spear in his hand and put to death the Yisra’ĕlite man and Miḏyanite woman that had committed whoring and stopped the plague in the camp!

At the same time our Master – the Aměn – may say, “I want you to be cold water to the people” – that is to bring the Besorah of Messiah and give the refreshing pure waters of life to the thirsty. Be a source, as an ambassador of Messiah, of the pure life giving water of His Good News and coming Reign!

If we are not being hot or cold for our Master and Elohim – The Aměn, then we make the stomach of our Master turn, so much so that He cannot stand our presence and will vomit us up, rendering us as not part of His Body and Bride!

As we consider these clear words of The Aměn – The Elohim of Truth – given to a lukewarm people, may we be on guard against apathy and the danger of our love for Elohim growing cold due to compromise, lawlessness and sin, and do our utmost to stay in our Master and guard our garments from becoming defiled and be found naked before Him!

Ḥazon/Revelation 16:15 “See, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who is staying awake and guarding his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

The one who overcomes shall sit with the Master on His Throne, which is a clear metaphor of His True Bride that will rule with Him, and we have discussed on many occasions that Yisra’ĕl means, ‘one who rules with El’. יִשְׂרָאֵל Yisra’ĕl – Strong’s H3478 which means, ‘he who prevails, overcomes with El’, comes from the primitive root words, אֵל ĕl – Strong’s H410 which means, ‘Mighty, power, shortened form of Elohim – Mighty One’ and the root word verb שָׂרָה sarah – Strong’s H8280 which means, ‘to persist, exert oneself, persevere, wrestle, contend’, is spelt the same as the name of Aḇraham’s wife, שָׂרָה ‘Sarah’ – Strong’s H8283 which means ‘princess or noble woman’; which is the feminine of the word שַׂר sar – Strong’s H8269 which means, ‘prince, captain, chieftain, ruler’!

Only those who endure and overcome in Messiah, by the guarding and keeping of His Torah, will receive a crown of life, to rule with Him as princes in His Kingdom! As overcomers we are called to be ardent (hot) and repent from dead works and be faithful ambassadors of His Coming Reign, bringing the refreshing news of the Living Waters of Life (cold) that come from the only One and True Aměn!

As you look into the mirror of the Word tonight, what do you see and what do you hear? How refreshing and zealous is your life in the Master? Have you found yourself growing cold in your love for Elohim through compromise and you stubbornly refuse to seek His righteousness because of self-pity and pride? Have you been zealous in your proclamation of the Truth, ready to reprove the fruitless works of darkness, or have you found yourself engaging in works of darkness that you should not be? Hear this clear rebuke and warning given to believers today and strive to be true overcomers in Messiah, who clothes us, feeds us and leads us in His Truth!

As we consider the words being spoken to the assembly in Laodikeia, let us hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies and be on guard against falling away from our steadfast position in our Rock and Refuge, our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah! As we see the crazy blasphemous living by many who claim to be believers yet are clearly being lukewarm in their attempt at worship, for they trust more in themselves and the riches of this world, as they reject the need to The Master’s Sabbaths and Feasts due to trusting in man-made doctrines of humanism that teaches a compromised standard that is accepted by most, let us hold fast to being a faithful remnant that manifests the fragrance of Messiah – being ardent for our King and never letting our loving obedience grow cold!

‘HOT OR COLD – NO HALF MEASURES ACCEPTABLE!’

Hear the call to overcome!

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom all,

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 5:1-2 “Become, then, imitators of Elohim as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Messiah also has loved us, and gave Himself for us, a gift and an offering to Elohim for a sweet-smelling fragrance.”

The word ‘imitators’ in the Greek is μιμητής  ‘mimētēs’ – G3402 and simply means ‘to imitate or to follow’, and we get our English word ‘mimic’ from this word. Now a mimic is one who impersonates and copies, or is a replica of someone else.

The word ‘imitate’ simply means to follow as a pattern, a model or an example; and to be or appear like – in other words resemble and to produce a copy of or reproduce.

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 2:6 “The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.”

We who say we ‘stay in’ our Master and Elohim, ought to walk as He walked, and this therefore calls for us to present our bodies as a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – for this is our reasonable worship.

Sha’ul tells us in:

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 2:14-16 “But thanks be to Elohim who always leads us on, to overcome in Messiah, and manifests through us the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 Because we are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death to death, and to the other the fragrance of life to life. And who is competent for these?”

As we face daily battles and struggles we can give a continual thanksgiving offering unto our Mighty Elohim who always leads us on, to be overcomers in Messiah, and we can manifest the sweet fragrance of His knowledge as we stay in Him! This sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Messiah that is manifest in our lives, as we live completely set-apart lives unto our Master, will be a fragrance of life to those being saved, while at the same time will be a fragrance of death to those who are perishing! The same fragrance that is life to some and death to others! Sha’ul asks the question of who is competent for these, and he makes it clear in:

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 3:5-6 “Not that we are competent in ourselves to reckon any matter as from ourselves, but our competence is from Elohim, 6 who also made us competent as servants of a renewed covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.”

Our Master יהושע Messiah makes it clear in Yoḥanan/John 15 that without Him we are able to do nought, and we who stay in Him will bear much fruit. Our ability to be the fragrance of the knowledge of Elohim requires our ability to be steadfast in staying in Him and enduring under many trials and battles we face each day, so that we can be the sweet fragrance of Messiah, as true ambassadors of His coming Reign!

In a message tonight called, “BEING THE FRAGRANCE OF MESSIAH – A CALL FOR ENDURANCE!” I would like us to be encouraged to be just that – the fragrance of Messiah, knowing that we will be the fragrance of death to many who are perishing – are you up for the task? Let us be encouraged by the words of our Master as we look at His words given to a faithful assembly that He calls to endure, be trustworthy and overcome the tough battles of this life, having the full assurance of the promise of eternal life in Him! Turn with me to Ḥazon/Revelation 2:8-11, as we look at the message given to the assembly in Smurna. (Read)

This is the 2^nd of the 7 assemblies that are addressed in Ḥazon/Revelation, and is one of two that did not receive any rebuke, but rather received the clear call to endure, be steadfast and overcome as faithful ambassadors of the Master, despite any trials and physical challenges they were facing or would face in the future!

Smurna was a city of around 200,000 people and was renowned for its wealth and contribution to science and medicine. It was the centre of emperor worship, and was granted the right to build the first temple honouring Tiberius in 23 C.E.

Each citizen was obligated to burn incense to the “mighty one” of Caesar annually and each would then receive a certificate of compliance. Non-compliance to this would result in severe persecution and suffering, as access to goods would become limited. True believers in Messiah refused to burn incense and say “Caesar is lord”, and as a result, they suffered intensely.

Polycarp, a student to Yoḥanan, was a prominent leader in the assembly of Smyrna and was put to death here in the 2^nd century C.E.

The message of Messiah would have reached this region in Asia Minor through the teachings of Sha’ul, when he taught daily in the school of Turannos, which was in Ephesos, for two years (Ma’asei/Acts 19:10). Located about 64km north of Ephesos

In Roman times, Smurna was considered the most brilliant city of Asia Minor, successfully rivalling Pergamos and Ephesos. Its streets were wide and paved. One of the major idols that were worshipped here was Dionysus, who was believed by the Greeks to have been killed and come to life. Dionysus was believed to be the son of Zeus and a human mother, who supposedly offered his followers life after death, as well as meaningful life on earth through the indulgence of raw meat and wine. According to the teaching of the Dionysus cult, followers who drank wine to excess literally became one with Dionysus. This of course is a total perversion of the Truth and here in this message given to the assembly in Smurna, we see יהושע Messiah  making it clear that He is the First and the Last, the one who became dead and came to life! The Roman version of Dionysus is Bacchus, the Roman mighty one of wine and intoxication.

I find this very interesting as we consider the call to endure today, for this connection to wine and intoxication as a clear reference to Satan and his message of lies that he causes many to become drunk on. Our Master tells this faithful assembly at Smurna that he knew of the blasphemy of those who say they are Yehuḏim but are not and are of the congregation of Satan!

יהושע Messiah  is the True Vine, and by our understanding of this we recognise that there is a false vine, that of Satan, who masquerades himself as a messenger of light, which we can clearly see in a falsified Greek rendition of a ‘Jesus’ who has called many to follow a drunken perversion of the Truth and cast aside the Torah of Elohim.

The Only True First and Last is יהושע Messiah  – יהוה our Saviour, who has called us out of darkness and into His marvellous light, and called us to set-apartness and to be sober, alert and watchful; whereas the enemy has a counterfeit message of lawlessness that is taught through intoxicating doctrines and twisted theologies of man that makes drunk the masses who are consuming such lies of Satan as they indulge themselves in vain and empty traditions that have been handed down in error, and are unable to discern the Truth from the lies due to drunkenness.

This message given to the faithful assembly in Smurna would have been a great encouragement to them, as this clear introduction that is given to them is the full assurance of who it was who was giving this message – the True King of Kings and our Great and Mighty Elohim who died and suffered for us, taking up His life again so that we have the full assurance of an eternal life in Him; and here amidst some of the most intense persecutions and sufferings for righteousness, the true believers here were called to endure by their Master who is Alive and reigns on High!

Ancient writers, including Apollonius and Aristides, spoke of Smurna as having the “crown of life.” This was a way of describing the hilltop behind the city as if it crowned Smyrna on top, with its feet at the seashore. The promise of “the crown of life” to the believers in Smurna who would overcome probably played off this image. Garlands of perishable flowers were worn by those worshiping pagan gods and goddesses; and this wording would have again given much encouragement to a faithful remnant who was being called to endure.

While the world runs after physical crowns and positions of prominence, we know that those who persevere in their worship and service of set-apartness unto our Master יהושע Messiah are given a different crown – a crown of endless life. This promise was given to those believers in Smyrna who would remain faithful through persecution.

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 9:24-25 “Do you not know that those who run in a race indeed all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes controls himself in every way. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we for an incorruptible crown.”

Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who does endure trial, for when he has been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Master has promised to those who love Him.”

Timotiyos Bět /2 Timothy 2:5 “And if anyone competes in a game, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

Proper endurance in our Master entails our proper submission to walking in His Torah and compete, if you will, according to His set forth rules, and any failure to do this will result in one not receiving the promised crown of life to those who overcome! Endurance implies a sure suffering that needs to be faced, and we are clearly told in:

Timotiyos Bět /2 Timothy 3:12 “And indeed, all those wishing to live reverently in Messiah יהושע, shall be persecuted.”

The Greek word translated as ‘reverently’ is εὐσεβῶς eusebōs – Strong’s G2153 meaning, ‘reverently, piously, devout’ which expresses pure devotion and commitment to respect and honour that is to be given unto our Master and Elohim.

This gift of life instructs us how to live a sober, upright life that walks in the fear of Elohim with eyes fixed on Messiah as we look forward with great expectancy for His soon return – the return of our Beloved Saviour who gave himself for us in order to redeem us from ALL LAWLESSNESS!

In Ḥazon/Revelation 2:9 Messiah makes it clear to the assembly in Smurna, and makes it clear to us today, that He knows all! He knows all that we do, He knows all the pressures we face and He knows the poverty we are in, yet He reminds us that we are indeed rich!

The Greek word for ‘works’ is ἔργον ergon – Strong’s G2041 which means, ‘works, labour, business, employment, behaviour, deeds’. The believers in Sardis were warned severely and were told to repent of dead works and wake up! So many today are working lawlessness and think that they are alive, yet they are dead in their sin! Here in Smurna the message to the remnant who were facing much persecution, was the encouragement of the words of the Master knowing their works and this would have certainly strengthened their ability to keep on enduring – for they were not dead works but pure works of righteousness, amidst a wicked and crooked people! We cannot hide our works from our Master, He knows all – whether our works are alive or dead, and despite some who try to put on a show of works – He knows all!!! That is why He makes it clear here to the true believers that He knows the blasphemy of some who claim to be of the Truth but were nothing more than a congregation of Satan! Sha’ul makes it clear for us in Romiyim/Romans 2:28-29 that a true Yehuḏite is not one who is outwardly circumcised in the flesh, but that a true Yehuḏite is one who is circumcised inwardly, and that of the heart, in Spirit and not literally, whose praise is not from men but from Elohim! Those who were claiming to be Yehuḏim here at Smurna were putting on an outward show, yet their hearts were far from Elohim! Sha’ul goes on and tells us in Romiyim/Romans 9:6 that not all are Yisra’ĕl who are of Yisra’ĕl.

As we have discussed on many occasions we know that Yisra’ĕl means, ‘one who rules with El’.

Yisra’ĕl’ – יִשְׂרָאֵל Yisra’ĕl – Strong’s H3478 which means, ‘he who prevails, overcomes with El’, comes from the primitive root words, אֵל ĕl – Strong’s H410 which means, ‘Mighty, power, shortened form of Elohim – Mighty One’ and the root word verb שָׂרָה sarah – Strong’s H8280 which means, ‘to persist, exert oneself, persevere, wrestle, contend’, is spelt the same as the name of Aḇraham’s wife, שָׂרָה ‘Sarah’ – Strong’s H8283 which means ‘princess or noble woman’; which is the feminine of the word שַׂר sar – Strong’s H8269 which means, ‘prince, captain, chieftain, ruler’!

Only those who endure and overcome in Messiah, by the guarding and keeping of His Torah, will receive a crown of life, to rule with Him as princes in His Kingdom!

As we consider the believers at Smurna who had to endure intense persecution we are able to see the promise given to those who will be steadfast in being the fragrance of Messiah.

The name Σμύρνα Smurna – Strong’s G4667 which is the same as the word σμύρνα Smurna – Strong’s G4666 means, ‘myrrh’. Myrrh was one of the ingredients used in the Anointing oil, and was one of the gifts brought by the Magi, and was also used as part of the mixture brought by Naḵdimon to put on the body of Messiah when they buried Him. From this we are able to understand how we are to guard against the leaven of the world and be a continual fragrant offering as present ourselves as a daily living offering, that is pleasing to יהוה, as we daily count the cost of walking in the pure Truth of His Word!

The Hebrew word for ‘myrrh’ is מֹר mor – Strong’s H4753 and is a white gum, issuing from the trunk and larger branches of a thorny tree resembling the acacia; Its taste is extremely bitter; but its smell, though strong, is agreeable to the senses and carries a very pleasant fragrance. It comes from the root word that means bitter. It was often used as a perfume as well as a medicine for stomach ailments. Another Greek word that is derived/translated from the Hebrew word מֹר mor – Strong’s H4753 is the Greek word for ‘perfume’ which is μύρον muron – Strong’s G3464 meaning, ‘ointment, perfumed oil’, which is what Miryam took and poured out on the Master’s feet and anointed Him with costly perfume and nard – an act that He said was to be told in remembrance of her, wherever the Good News would be proclaimed!

This message given to Smurna was a message of encouragement; in being poured out as a daily living offering that would be well pleasing to Elohim, and manifest the powerful fragrance of Messiah! When we do this we recognise that there will come some intense persecutions and tough trials that we will need to endure and overcome in our Master!

He knows our pressures that we face! The Greek word for ‘pressures’ here in verse 9 is θλῖψις  thlipsis – Strong’s G2347 means, ‘tribulation, pressure, affliction, distress, persecution, trouble’ and comes from the primitive verb θλίβω  thlibō – Strong’s G2346 which means, ‘to press or afflict, to distress, suffer affliction’, and in the literal sense can mean, ‘to squash, press, hem in, rub, harassed’, and also can be understood as being ‘narrow or hard pressed’.

Master יהושע Messiah tells us in:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter in through the narrow gate! Because the gate is wide – and the way is broad – that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in through it. 14 “Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The words translated here as ‘hard pressed’ is from the Greek word θλίβω  thlibō, and the Greek word translated as ‘narrow’ is στενός  stenos – Strong’s G4728 which means, ‘narrow (space or passage) as a result of obstacles standing close about)’. In other words the true path of life is very narrow, and often it will feel like the pressure of so many obstacles of destruction that are pressing hard against us, are doing their best to cause us to not enter in, as we are continually hard pressed on every side – yet as faithful followers of Messiah, we are not crushed!

What I want us to be very clear about tonight, as we look at this Greek word θλῖψις  thlipsis, is that as believers we shall not be exempt from having pressure, affliction, distress and persecution or tribulation – in fact we are subject to it!!!! The

thlipsis (pressure) we face and go through, as sojourners, consists largely of the persecution and the opposition that our faithful witness and testimony meets in an unfriendly world. In other words, the thlipsis (pressure) that we are speaking of here in Scripture is the direct attack and pressure that comes against our walking in obedience to the Word of Truth. It is the distress and affliction that is launched at us for our standing firm in the guarding of the commands of Elohim and doing them as we should! When you go against the flow of man’s traditions and dogmas, and follow the clear narrow path of the Truth, then you will have much pressure! People will say all kinds of ugly things to you, and you will face many sacrifices that will have to be made in your bold confession of the Truth being physically lived out in complete set-apartness. ‘Thlipsis’ (pressure) to early believers was not so much about the onset of sickness or poverty, or even the loss of friends; but was rather the sacrifices that had to be made, and the great perils/dangers they had to meet as a result of their proclamation or confession  of Messiah! The more we are being refined through the teaching of the Word, the more we realise what sacrifices have to be made in order that our lives are a living witness and proclamation of the Kingdom Reign of Messiah, and we need to be continually reminded to keep standing firm as we hold fast to the Truth and do it with all our might, forsaking all that would dare to hinder our walk of faith, so that we can truly manifest the fragrance of Messiah!

I gave a message in 2013 called ‘ENDURING UNDER THLIPSIS’ which can be viewed from our site (https://atfotc.com) under the ‘sermons 2013’ menu or by clicking on the following link:

https://atfotc.com/index.php/our-sermons/sermons-2013/482-enduring-under-thlipsis-john-16-33

The Greek word used for ‘poverty’ is πτωχεία ptōcheia – Strong’s G4432 which means, ‘beggary, destitution, poverty’, and comes from the word πτωχός ptōchos – Strong’s G4434 which means, ‘to crouch or cower, one who crouches, poor, beggarly’. This word is related to the Hebrew word עָנִי aniy – Strong’s H6041 which means, ‘poor, afflicted, humble, opressed’, which comes from the root עָנָה anah – Strong’s H6031 which means, ‘to be bowed down or afflicted, distressed, violated’, as well as the Hebrew word דָּלַל dalal – Strong’s H1809 which means, ‘to hang, brought low, distress’.

The encouragement given here to this remnant faithful, who through endurance would manifest the fragrance of Messiah, was that despite the effects of suffering persecution and even being brought low in a state of poverty, they were rich in Messiah, as wealth and riches of the world does not give us our identity, security and life! In fact we are able to see in Ḥazon/Revelation 3:17 how the supposed wealth of those in Laodikeia was unmasked as poverty in the eyes of our Master! The richest we can be – is to ‘know’ our Master and Elohim – and by this we know that we know Him – when we guard His commands! (Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 2:3)

Qorintiyim Bět /2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the favour of our Master יהושע Messiah, that being rich, He became poor for your sake, so that you might become rich through His poverty.”

Pressures and poverty can surely cause one to be gripped with worries and fear, and be in deep despair within and without. The blasphemous slander of those who claim to be believers can also distress one’s spirit, and יהושע our Master tells us in verse 10 to not fear the things that we shall suffer for His Name’s sake! The fact is clear – we will suffer hardships and persecutions – and here this image of 10 days gives us great insight in our call to endure! These 10 days can be symbolic of the days of Ya’aqoḇ’s distress, as we consider the very intense period of 10 days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur when the wrath of Elohim is poured out upon the earth. We can also see from this 10 day period a clear call to endure, as Messiah told His taught ones after He had been with them for 40 days after His resurrection, teaching them about the reign of the heavens. He told them to wait for the set-apart Spirit – which was poured out 10 days later on Shaḇu’ot. During these 10 days they experienced intense persecution for the Name of יהושע Messiah. Our encouragement here is that we too are to endure in walking in the θλίβω  thlibō (hard pressed) way until our Master comes with His Heavenly Host, to give us rest:

Tas’loniqim Bět/2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 “since Elohim shall rightly repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give you who are afflicted rest with us when the Master יהושע is revealed from heaven with His mighty messengers, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know Elohim, and on those who do not obey the Good News of our Master יהושע Messiah”

The believers in Smurna are told to be trustworthy, and so too do we recognise this clear call for us who are the fragrance of Messiah, to be faithful/trustworthy – even unto death!

The Greek word for ‘trustworthy’ is πιστός pistos – Strong’s G4103 which means, ‘faithful, reliable, believer, trustworthy’, and comes from the primary root verb πείθω peithō – Strong’s G3982 which means, ‘to persuade, to put confidence in, to follow, have confidence and rely upon’. When looking at these root terms it is very clear, even in the Greek mind-set, that ‘to be trustworthy’ involves action and a confident response to the one you put your trust in and follow.

The call here is to not give up!!! Because then we shall receive the crown of life!!! What is interesting for us to consider here is that the Greek word for ‘crown’ is στέφανος Stephanos – Strong’s G4735 which means, ‘to encircle, that which surrounds, crown, wreath’, and is the same as the name of Στέφανος Stephanos – Strong’s G4736, the first recorded taught one who was killed for the Name of יהושע Messiah, as seen in Ma’asei/Acts 7! Stephanos endured unto death!

In verse 11 the message is clear to those who endure and overcome in the Master – the second death will have no power over you!

Ḥazon/Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

As we endure as faithful ambassadors of Messiah, we recognise that while the way is hard pressed, we are not crushed!

Qorintiyim Bět /2 Corinthians 4:7-11“And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power might be of Elohim, and not of us –  8 being hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; being perplexed, but not in despair; 9 being persecuted, but not forsaken; being thrown down, but not destroyed; 10 always bearing about in the body the dying of the Master יהושע , that the life of יהושע might also be manifested in our body. 11 For we, the living, are always delivered to death for the sake of יהושע , that the life of יהושע might also be manifested in our mortal flesh”

Messiah is our Help and our support, as we recognise that in what He suffered He is able to help us in our sufferings:

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 2:18 “For in what He had suffered, Himself being tried, He is able to help those who are tried.”

Kěpha Aleph/1 Peter 2:20-21 “For what credit is there in enduring a beating when you sin? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure, this finds favour with Elohim. 21 For to this you were called, because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps”

Kěpha Aleph/1 Peter 3:14 “But even if you suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not fear their threats, neither be troubled.”

How are you handing the pressures – the ‘thlipsis’ – that come BECAUSE OF THE WORD? I am not talking about the pressures that come because of your own poor choices – I am talking about the pressures that come as a result of walking faithfully in obedience to the Torah of our Master.  Walking in His Torah is not hard – I will say that again – walking the narrow Torah way of our Master is not hard – compromising one’s walk is what makes it seem hard, as compromise only pulls you away from enduring through obedience while seeking to justify the lack of true commitment! So many easily compromise and sadly miss the true joy of the Freedom of the Torah.

As we consider the words being spoken to the assembly in Smurna, let us hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies and be on guard against falling away from our steadfast position in our Rock and Refuge, our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah! As we see the crazy blasphemous living by many who claim to be believers yet are of the House of Satan, for they partake in the table of demons and call the table of יהוה despicable, as they reject the need to keep His Sabbaths and Feasts, let us hold fast to being a faithful remnant that manifests the fragrance of Messiah – which to some will be the fragrance of life to life, while to most we will be the fragrance of death to death – and it is Messiah who makes us competent for such a task!

“BEING THE FRAGRANCE OF MESSIAH – A CALL FOR ENDURANCE!”

As we consider the pressures that we shall face for living reverently in Messiah, let us be trustworthy until death and never let go of our steadfast duty of manifesting the fragrance of our King! Hear this call for endurance as you hear what the Spirit is saying to us as an assembly that seeks to manifest the powerful fragrance of our Master and Elohim!

Maybe you have been facing some intense pressures and even some crippling times of poverty, and have been disgusted by the blasphemous living of whitewashed wanna-be believers. Know this – our Master knows what you have been going through and He knows all you have been doing, and He is calling us all to endure and be trustworthy until the end, for our reward is in the heavens! As we hear this call to endure I want to close with the very clear words of our great Master, Elohim and King – words that encourage us to not lose our ability to manifest His fragrance and proclaim His Kingdom Reign that is coming as we shine the Light of His Truth in all we say and do!

Mattithyahu/Matthew  5:10-16 “Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because theirs is the reign of the heavens. 11 “Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and falsely say every wicked word against you, for My sake. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, because your reward in the heavens is great. For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how shall it be seasoned? For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and to be trodden down by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. It is impossible for a city to be hidden on a mountain. 15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines to all those in the house. 16 “Let your light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and praise your Father who is in the heavens.”

“BEING THE FRAGRANCE OF MESSIAH – A CALL FOR ENDURANCE!”

Hear the call and be trustworthy to the end!

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom all,

Timotiyos Bět/2 Timothy 2:19-22 “However, the solid foundation of Elohim stands firm, having this seal, “יהוה knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the Name of Messiah turn away from unrighteous-ness.” 20 But in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some unto value and some unto no value. 21 If, then, anyone cleanses himself from these matters, he shall be a vessel unto value, having been set apart, of good use to the Master, having been prepared for every good work. 22 And flee from the lusts of youth, but pursue righteousness, belief, love, peace with those calling on the Master out of a clean heart.”

יהוה knows those who are His! And in a time when unrighteousness is on the rise, the need for the true worshippers of Elohim to stand up and proclaim His Kingdom Truth is of critical importance. Becoming a vessel unto value is the clear call for us who desire to live completely set-apart lives unto our Master. In order for us to be a true vessel of value in the Master’s House we need to recognise the urgency in the command to flee the fleshly lusts and pursue righteousness as we diligently guard to do all that יהוה has commanded us to. This call to walk set-apart lives is not for the faint-hearted, and requires a devoted action of cleansing ourselves from all unrighteousness as we allow the Torah of Elohim, which is to be upon our hearts, to shine through as faithful ambassadors of His coming reign! As I said, this walk is not for the faint-hearted, and it is not for the lazy! More and more we can clearly see how יהוה is sifting and refining His pure Bride, making it more and more clear to those who can see and have had the veil lifted from their eyes, that His faithful Bride is a remnant indeed. A remnant that need not fear the threats of the enemy, but are willing to stand, dressed and ready in the Armour of Light and raise a great shout of praise for our Coming King!

Tonight I want us to look at some key nuggets of truth that we can find from the incredible account of the victory that יהוה brought for Giḏ’on and his whittled down army of 300 men. A story, I am sure, that you are all aware of, yet I would like to run through this account and dig into some great nuggets of truth that can equip us in our courageous stand of faith in the Master, as we stand amidst a people who have been darkened by deceit, and are able to faithfully proclaim the Good News without compromise! In a message tonight called, “WILL THE TRUE REMNANT STAND, SHINE AND SHOUT!”, let us be armed with great encouraging faith that will enable us all to do just that, as we hear the Word of Elohim! Please turn with me to Shophetim/Judges 7 (Read).

In this account of Giḏ’on and the victory that יהוה brought him, and the 300 men that were with him, over the Miḏyanites is a great story of faith in action, with many important life lessons for us to learn from, and so tonight I want to highlight a few key words we find in this chapter and the clear picture of what being a set-apart vessel unto value clearly entails!

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:3-4 “For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy, 4 because everyone having been born of Elohim overcomes the world. And this is the overcoming that has overcome the world: our belief.”

If we are to be overcomers and not be overcome, we need to be diligent doers of the Word and not lazy hearers only, and when we guard the commands of Elohim we will find that there are some key things that are a certainty; and that is that יהוה will test our faith/belief, He will encourage our faith/belief and He will reward our faith/belief!

Giḏ’on had already undergone some severe testing, which would now bring him to the place where he could lead a faithful army! גִּדְעוֹן Giḏ’on – Strong’s H1439 means, ‘hewer, one who chops down’, and comes from the root word גָּדַע  gaḏa – Strong’s H1438 meaning, ‘cut down, chop, break down, cast down’. He certainly was a very courageous man who chopped down and destroyed the abominable Ashĕrah pole and altar of Ba’al that his father had. This root word גָּדַע  gaḏa – Strong’s H1438 is frequently used in referring to the hewing down or chopping and cutting down of idols, and the objects that were to be ‘cut down’ in Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 7:5 and Diḇre haYamim Bět/2 Chronicles 14:3 & 31:1 were the Ashĕrim, which were poles that were set up near pagan slaughter-places in worship rites to Ashĕrah who was the Baḇelonian and Kenaʽanite fertility goddess of fortune and happiness,  who was also known in Greek as Astarte, or Ishtar and later known as ‘Easter’. Asherah is the demonic name of the female counterpart for Ba’al, and was predominantly represented by a carved wooden image implanted into the ground, usually adjacent to an altar dedicated to the Ba’al. The concept of Christmas trees being placed near the fire place in homes is derived from this ancient pagan worship practice, and the decoration of the tree was done in worship that was given to the ‘Queen of heaven’. Giḏ’on broke down the slaughter-place of Ba’al and cut down the Ashĕrah that was beside it. The people then called Giḏ’on, יְרֻבַּעַל Yerubbaʽal – Strong’s H3378 which means, ‘let Ba’al contend’. Then the Spirit of יהוה came upon Giḏ’on and he blew the shofar and then gathered an army to stand against Miḏyan who had come and camped in the valley of Yizreʽĕl. In a plea for assurance that יהוה would save Yisra’ĕl by the hand of Giḏ’on, as He had said, Giḏ’on sought confirmation from יהוה by putting out a fleece twice. We then come to the chapter we have just read where we find Giḏ’on, and all who were with him, encamped at the ‘fountain of Ḥaroḏ’, which in Hebrew is עֵין חֲרֹד en Ḥaroḏ – Strong’s H5878 which means, ‘spring, fountain of Ḥaroḏ’.

This comes from the two words: 1) – עין ayin – Strong’s H5869 which means ‘eye, sight, fountain’, and is often used to depict the spiritual faculties, as when Aḏam and Ḥawwah sinned their ‘eyes’ were opened and they lost their innocence and were aware of their nakedness, both physical and spiritual. Eyes can be blinded to the Truth of the Torah of Elohim through compromise and sin, and eyes can be opened by Elohim, and we are told in Tehillah/Psalm 19:8 that the commands of Elohim enlightens the eyes! 2) – Ḥaroḏ comes from the root word חָרַד ḥaraḏ – Strong’s H2729 which means, ‘trembling, to be terrified, frightened, afraid’. Giḏ’on and his gathered army were at the fountain of Ḥaroḏ, the place where the first testing or sifting would take place – the place that would reveal those who are afraid of the task that was at hand! Miḏyan was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh! מוֹרֶה Moreh – Strong’s H4176 means, ‘teacher’, and this in itself carries a great encouragement for us, especially when we understand the full story of Giḏ’on, who overcame huge terrifying obstacles and frightening enemies, as he trusted in and fixed his eyes upon יהוה. Here we recognise that in the face of danger and terrifying circumstances, which in Scripture is often represented as coming from the north, we are able to face battles and struggles as long as we have the hill of Moreh in our sights – meaning that we have our eyes on our Mighty Teacher and His clear instructions that gives us confidence and faith to stand and fight the good fight of faith! In Hebrew the word for ‘north’ is צְפוֹן Tsephon – Strong’s H6828, which is from the primitive root –  צָפַן  tsaphan – Strong’s H6845 meaning, ‘to hide, treasure up, ambush, concealed’.

We have a Teacher of Righteousness – and as good, faithful students we must take careful heed to hear, guard and do all He teaches us through His Word – then we will be equipped to face the tough battles in life – even those battles and struggles that may be hidden from our sights, causing us to not be in fear of what lies ahead, but be equipped to press on in fervent faith as good soldiers of Messiah!!!

Giḏ’on was ready to face the enemy, and the first test now came to see who was with him. As the army gathered, and in essence had their eyes opened to the terror of battle that lay ahead, יהוה made it very clear that there were too many. יהוה doesn’t need or want the crowds, He wants the faithful! He does not want the masses who follow for the occasion, He wants the upright and zealous faithful who will give their all. He told Giḏ’on to proclaim in the hearing of all that anyone who was afraid and trembling could not go up and fight, but were to turn back and leave Mount Gil’aḏ. The Hebrew word for ‘trembling’ is חֲרֹד ḥaroḏ – Strong’s H2730. In the eyes of terror/trembling circumstances those who are in fear and are trembling must turn back and leave the rocky place! גִּלְעָד  Gilʽaḏ – Strong’s H1568 means, ‘rocky region’. This was a great sifting that took place and I see a clear picture of many who face this test today and clearly reveal that they are not worthy to go on and fight the good fight of belief! While many may have recognised that the inherited worship taught by our father’s was wrong and full of twisted lies, and they even stop keeping the falsely taught Feasts of Christianity, they find it too hard to stand firm in the Truth and face the battles and persecution that comes with living set-apart lives in our Master, Elohim and Beloved King, יהושע Messiah. It is one thing to come out of false traditions, after having cut down and destroyed all false worship, yet it’s another thing to then walk the path of complete set-apartness – and this is where the biggest sifting takes place. Many will acknowledge that the falsehood that was taught to us was based on inherited lies, and will claim no allegiance to such falsehood, yet lack the courage to actually walk in the Truth!

Those who are afraid and tremble at the call to live completely set-apart lives and refuse to give their all in fear of what others may say or do to them, or in fear of losing a job or relationship, can and will affect others and therefore need to be sifted out and are unable to lead others in the Truth, and we see in the Torah that those who are afraid cannot face the battles lest others become afraid too, as seen in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 20:8-9 “And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Who is the man who is afraid and tender of heart? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brothers faint like his heart.’ 9 “And it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint commanders of the divisions to lead the people.”

22 000 men left at this clear proclamation of Giḏ’on, and only 10 000 men were left at this first sifting. The Hebrew word translated as ‘remained’ in verse 3 is שָׁאַר sha’ar- Strong’s H7604 which means, ‘to remain, left over and to swell up, remnant, survivors, left alive’. This word is translated as ‘leave’ in reference to the remnant that is delivered in the following verse:

Ezra/9:8 “But now, for a short while, favour has been shown from יהוה our Elohim, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His set-apart place, that our Elohim might enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.”

Once again this word is used twice in reference to the remnant that are left in:

Neḥemyah/Nehemiah 1:3 “And they said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity in the province are there in great evil and reproach. And the wall of Yerushalayim is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

So here in this first sifting of Giḏ’on’s army we see a remnant being left! And what is a very important lesson for us here is that even among the remnant there is still further testing and sifting that will occur, leaving us a true remnant of the remnant, so to speak! In verse 4 יהוה tells Giḏ’on that there were still too many people, and instructs Giḏ’on to bring them down to the water for further testing, where יהוה would prove the 10 000.

The Hebrew word for ‘prove’ is צָרַף tsaraph – Strong’s H6884 which means, ‘to smelt, refine, test, tried’, and is often used in Scripture as a metaphor for judgement on, and the purification of, sin:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 1:25 “And I shall turn My hand against you, and shall refine your dross as with lye, and shall remove all your alloy.”

This remnant was going to be refined even further, and this would be done at the water! Coming to the water is often a clear picture in Scripture of coming to drink of the Word and be refreshed, nourished and cleansed, and while the army had gone from 32 000 to 10 000 there was still further refining needed, a refining that can only be done through the pure and unadulterated Word of Elohim. Water is a picture of יהוה’s Word that cleanses the Bride through the Blood of Messiah, as we are told in:

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 5:25-26 “Husbands, love your wives, as Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for it, 26 in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word”

The cleansing of the remnant, in order to bring about a true remnant Bride, is what is being pictured for us here in this account of Giḏ’on, and we recognise that only some will actually be led to the Truth while the majority who claim to walk in the Word turn away from the narrow way due to fear and trembling. Giḏ’on received strict instructions in how to sift out the true remnant faithful that could be used as pure vessels unto value. Those who ‘lapped’ the water – that is those who put their hands to their mouths – would be the true remnant that would be equipped to stand and fight the good fight! The ones who lapped were only 300 men, and they were separated from the 9 700 who bowed down and put their faces in the water! Those who bowed down on their knees and put their faces in the water would not be as alert to the threat of the enemies approach as those who lapped up the water with their hands to their mouths! Those who bowed down and put their faces in the water is a picture of those who are lazy, as we are told in:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 19:24 “A lazy one buries his hand in a dish, and does not bring it back to his mouth.”

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 26:15 “The lazy one buries his hand in a dish; it tires him to bring it back to his mouth.”

Ěsaw was also too lazy to eat the food that Ya’aqoḇ had prepared and ask Ya’aqob to feed him because he was too tired (Berěshith/Genesis 25:30).

The ‘lazy’ who bowed down on their knees is a picture of those who are simply seeking a religious experience and do so out of a duty, while they are not willing to actually do the necessary and proper seeking, studying and meditating upon the Word. By that I mean we are able to recognise from this 10 000 that came to the water and only 300 were chosen, how there are many who claim to be on the Torah walk and have left all false worship, and will gather on the Sabbaths and Feasts of יהוה, to some degree, yet they are not actively engaging in a true relationship with יהוה, by diligently studying His Word! They will keep the Sabbath as best as they can in their own eyes and may even gather as commanded, yet through a severe sifting process will be revealed as just doing so to religiously follow a required duty while they lack the intensity of pure set-apartness that is expected to be brought forth in the fruit of their daily lives. While the masses will not come to the water to drink, and by that I mean the pure fountain of living water as given forth from proper Sabbath keeping, it is still only a remnant that will actually come drink of the Truth and be immersed in the presence of Elohim! Of those that do this there is still a further sifting that reveals that not all who are gathering as commanded are actually worthy or fit to stand and fight as they ought to! Some may come to the water and get their fill, yet quickly forget what they look like! Some come to hear the Torah on a Sabbath and get so tired that they lose focus and the ability to give proper attention to what they are drinking, causing them to falter in defending the Truth as they forget what they are supposed to look like as the world draws them to compromise when the battles get tough!

Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:22-25 “And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like. 25 But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.”

The remnant of the remnant that lap up with their hands to their mouths are the true worshippers – True worshippers that are being sifted out from the rest who claim to be a remnant! The True remnant is a remnant of the remnant!!!

300 men from 10 000! After the proper sifting of who would drink as they should, the enemy could now be faced by faith and complete trust in יהוה. On a fleshly level there was absolutely no way 300 men could take on a giant army, yet when walking in compete trust and faith in יהוה of Hosts, those who are ardent in their diligent guarding of His Word can face any battle as they stand firm in the Master! The enemy could now be faced by a faithful remnant who were not fearful of the enemies threats! What is interesting to take note of here is that in verse 8 we are told that Miḏyan was now ‘below’ them in the valley! They were no longer to the ‘north’ (or hidden) as seen in verse 1. Those who fix their eyes on the Master and Elohim, our Good Teacher, יהושע Messiah, and have had the ‘veil removed’ are able to clearly discern, recognise and identify the enemy and distinguish between the set-apart and profane and between the clean and the unclean, as that which was hidden becomes clearer, enabling us to stand and face the battles in life knowing that we ‘hidden in Yah!’! It is those who do their utmost to present themselves approved to Elohim, as workers who does not need to be ashamed, and can rightly handle the Word of Truth that are able to take their rightful stand in the Master and proclaim His Kingdom Reign.

Giḏ’on had kept the shofars from those who had been sifted out in order that all 300 of his men would be properly equipped to do what they would be commanded to do, and blow the shofar! Herein lies another picture of the true remnant being equipped with all they need to stand and do as commanded! We too have been given all we need:

Kěpha Bět/2 Peter 1:3 “as His Mighty-like power has given to us all we need for life and reverence, through the knowledge of Him who called us to esteem and uprightness.”

With the army now in place, we see that יהוה told Giḏ’on for the 4^th time, in verse 9, that He had given Miḏyan into his hand. Although the battle would still need to be faced, Yisra’ĕl had already won, with the full assurance of the Word of Elohim.

This is the confidence we need to embrace as we face the tests and battles of this life, knowing that as we remain steadfast and firm in our Master and Elohim, we need not fear and have the fullest assurance that no storms or crashing waves will cause us to be moved from our steadfast position upon our Rock and Refuge:

Tehillah/Psalm 62:5-8 “My being, find rest in Elohim alone, because my expectation is from Him. 6 He alone is my rock and my deliverance, my strong tower; I am not shaken. 7 My deliverance and my esteem depend on Elohim; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in Elohim. 8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; Elohim is a refuge for us. Selah.”

Pause and think about these words for a moment…! Our expectation and dependency must be in Elohim alone! In where or in whom do you put your expectation and who do you depend on? Elohim is our strength and refuge and we must find rest in Him alone!

יהוה gave Giḏ’on further assurance of His Word as he told Giḏ’on that if he was in any way still afraid that he was to go down to the Miḏyan camp and listen to what they say. He went with his servant ‘Purah’ and came back greatly encouraged and full of confidence in יהוה. פֻּרָה Purah – Strong’s H6513 means, ‘bough, branch’, which comes from the root verb פָּרָה parah – Strong’s H6509 which means, ‘to bear fruit, be fruitful, flourish’.

I find this a great lesson as we see יהוה telling Giḏ’on to go with his servant פֻּרָה Purah – Strong’s H6513, as this too gives us another picture of how we are to be encouraged by each other, as we are bearing the fruit of righteousness.

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 10:23-25 “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.”

Giḏ’on then gave his 300 faithful men clear instructions – they were split into 3 groups of 100 each and each man was given a shofar as well as an empty vessel with a torch inside of it. At the command and leading of Giḏ’on they were to blow the shofars that were in their right hands and break the jars that were in their left hands exposing the torches that were inside and shout ‘for יהוה and for Giḏ’on’. When considering this picture of these men being told to have the shofars in their right hands and the jars with the torches in their left hands I pondered upon the significance of this and was reminded on the verses we find in Mishlĕ/Proverbs in describing wisdom, which say in:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 3:16 “Length of days is in her right hand, riches and esteem in her left hand.”

Giḏ’on’s men were clearly instructed to have the shofars in their right hands, and when understanding wisdom being depicted as having length of days in her right hand I am able to see how powerful this picture of raising the shout of a shofar is. We are told in Scripture to blow the shofar on the new moon, and on the appointed times (Feasts) and in the days of our rejoicing, and in time of battle to warn and gather. The sounding of the shofar reminds us of the clear promise of deliverance we have in our Master and king who has given us the promise of eternal life in Him, the Right Hand of Elohim!

With the jars being in the left hand, and had to be broken in order to shine the light of the torches we can see a picture of complete surrender to the Master’s ways and recognise that we need not chase riches or let the deceitfulness of wealth and the worries of this life choke out the Word, but rather by becoming a daily living offering unto Elohim, we can find rest in knowing that as we shine the light of His Truth and guard His Torah by doing all that He has commanded us to with great zeal and joy we have the assurance of His blessed provision for our lives!

The pictures of the shofars, the jars and the torches can give us a great lesson of how we are to be overcomers in יהושע Messiah, as we read at the beginning of this message from Timotiyos Bět/2 Timothy 2:19-22 that we who have cleansed ourselves from all unrighteousness shall be a vessel unto value, having been set-apart and of good use to our Master! They were commanded to do as Giḏ’on does, which is a shadow picture of us walking as Messiah walked! In his example they could follow his lead and when he broke his jar the rest would follow and break their jars too! Messiah came in the flesh and defeated sin, and He calls us to walk as He walked, and this will take the clear responsibility of a true remnant to break off the things of the flesh, and surrender totally into the hands of our King.

Sha’ul echoed a similar plea when he wrote to the Corinthians and said:

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 11:1 “Become imitators of me, as I also am of Messiah.”

The word ‘imitators’ in the Greek is μιμητής  ‘mimētēs’ – G3402 and simply means ‘to imitate or to follow’, and we get our English word mimic from this. Now a mimic is one who impersonates and copies or is a replica of someone else.

The word ‘imitate’ simply means to follow as a pattern, a model or an example; to be or appear like – in other words resemble and to produce a copy of or reproduce. Giḏ’on was following the clear instructions of יהוה, and he could therefore confidently tell the rest to follow his example and do as he does! How about you? Are you able to confidently tell others to ‘do as you do’ and become an imitator of you as you are of Messiah?

Once you’ve broken off the fleshly lusts and reliance upon self, let your light shine brightly in the darkness around you, and make a great sound of rejoicing praise as you proclaim His coming Reign! These 300 men who had been sifted out from the rest as being worthy to stand and fight could follow the instructions of Giḏ’on, their appointed leader! This is another picture of the obedience and submission of the True Remnant! Many who claim to be on the Torah walk today may often refuse to submit to any leadership appointed by יהוה.

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 4 clearly tells us that our Master יהושע Messiah has appointed some to equip and train the body to perfection:

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 4:11-16 “And He Himself gave some as emissaries, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers 12 for the perfecting of the set-apart ones, to the work of service to a building up of the body of the Messiah, 13 until we all come to the unity of the belief and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the completeness of Messiah, 14 so that we should no longer be children, tossed and borne about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, in cleverness, unto the craftiness of leading astray, 15 but, maintaining the truth in love, we grow up in all respects into Him who is the head, Messiah, 16 from whom the entire body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the working by which each part does its share, causes growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Sadly we find that there are many who claim to be walking in the Torah who refuse to be a part of and submit to walking in fellowship with others, and are doing what is right in their own eyes and refuse to follow the teachings and leadings of those appointed by the Master Himself, and we are told in:

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those leading you, who spoke the Word of Elohim to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their belief.”

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 13:17 “Obey those leading you, and be subject to them, for they watch for your lives, as having to give account. Let them do so with joy and not groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

These 300 men could imitate and obey Giḏ’on, the appointed leader of יהוה, and could do so with boldness, as they had passed the two siftings, being not afraid nor lazy to the task at hand!

The torches would not burn without oil, and so we see the need for us to be like the wise maidens/virgins who had trimmed their lamps and had them filled with oil, representing our need to be walking according to the Spirit at all times, shining the light of His Truth, as true branches of the True Vine, as pictured by the Menorah/Lampstand!

Verse 21 gives us a great lesson on steadfastness and complete faith and trust in יהוה. We are told that the men stood in their place! While the enemy was in a panic at the great sound of the 300 shofars and the bright lights being shone in the darkest of night, the remnant 300 could stand in their place and not be moved, while יהוה would fight for them!

The Hebrew word for ‘stand’ is עָמַד amaḏ – Strong’s H5975 which carries the meaning, ‘to take one’s stand, present oneself, abide, appoint, arise, stay, be steadfast, remain, be or become a servant’. In Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 7:2 we see how Yirmeyahu was to ‘Stand in the gate of the House of יהוה, and proclaim the Word of יהוה to all who were entering the gates to bow down to יהוה’. Yirmeyahu was not just told to stand up but rather, more firmly, he was told to take a stand and be steadfast in standing up to speak the Word of Elohim, as he was to confidently take a stand against the hypocrisy of false worship, and ‘proclaim’ the Word of יהוה. Stand up and speak up – this was what Yirmeyahu was told to do – and as we look at his life we can see that while he was repeatedly told to do this, he was not well received; and in fact was more often than not hated for the words he had to stand up and speak to a wicked generation. The same was true for Yeḥezqěl – he too was told to stand up and speak! Be a steadfast servant of the Word and stand up and speak the Truth!

The Hebrew root word translated as ‘in his place’ is תַּחַת taḥath – Strong’s H8478 meaning, ‘underneath, below, instead of, allegiance’ and can be understood as ‘under the authority of’. What we can see from this here is the clear submission of true servants who ascribed and submitted under the hand of יהוה, and their allegiance to their appointed leader Giḏ’on would be clearly seen in the work of their hands as they would not do their own works, but submit and walk in his commands and instructions, which shadow pictures our need to walk in and follow our Master and Elohim יהושע Messiah!

Doing what is commanded, while the enemy runs around in a frenzy, is what we are called to do! Do not be alarmed or shaken from your steadfastness at the drunkenness and depravity of the lawless, but rather stand! Stand, stand and stand in the complete armour of Elohim and see the great victories that our Master will bring!!!

After Miḏyan were in a great panic at the sound of the shofars and the light of the lamps of the 300 men, they began killing each other as יהוה set the sword of each one against the other throughout the Miḏyanite camp. The army of Miḏyan then began to flee and Giḏ’on called out Ephrayim to capture them. They did so and killed the two princes of Miḏyan and cut off their heads! עֹרֵב Oreḇ – Strong’s H6159 means, ‘raven’ and זְאֵב Ze’eḇ – Strong’s H2062 means, ‘wolf’.

The names of these two princes of Miḏyan reveal their uncleanness and teach us to be on guard against the schemes of the enemy, as the wickedness of false traditions leads many astray through the teachings of false prophets and false teachers:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:15 “But beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves.”

These unclean animals are predators – wolves will seek to kill sheep, while ravens feast on dead animals! Ravens feed off of the dead, which in many ways can picture for us the corrupted Roman-Catholic system that is the mother whore of Christianity, and builds it churches over tombs and much of their focus is on death, as their traditional iconic image of their saviour’s death means everything, while resurrection is an afterthought. It is Ephrayim who must behead these two princes of falsehood. With Ephrayim – אֶפְרַיִם  – Strong’s H669 meaning, ‘doubly fruitful’, and recognising that in Scripture Ephrayim is often used in reference to a returning House of Yisra’ĕl, we are able to see how we are to ‘cut off the head’ of all falsehood – and that is done by bearing much fruit that lasts – the fruit of righteousness and pure set-apart living! By cutting off the heads of the raven and the wolf we see a clear picture of making sure that wickedness and darkness has no more rule over us, as we submit to our True Head  – יהושע Messiah!

In the last two verses of Hoshěa /Hosea we see the clear truth that Ephrayim must be done with idols and idol worship and therefore cut off the head/leading of compromised truths and walk in the clear straight Torah of Elohim:

Hoshěa/Hosea 14:8-9 “What more has Ephrayim to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after him. I am like a green cypress tree, your fruit comes from Me.” 9 Who is wise and understands these words, discerning and knows them? For the ways of יהוה are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the transgressors stumble in them.”

The remnant faithful and fruitful will be the ones who put to death the works of darkness and shine the light of the Truth, while the fearful and lazy will stumble and fall!

Romiyim/Romans 13:12 “The night is far advanced, the day has come near. So let us put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

As we consider this chapter in Shophetim/Judges 7, let us make sure that we are steadfast in lifting up the banner of praise and raising the shofar sound of victory by shining the Light of the Truth in all we do, having broken off and cast away all misdeeds of the flesh so that we can be vessels of value as we proclaim the reign of the heavens that draws near! This is the time for true worshippers to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth and the clear call resounds, as the sifting process continues:

WILL THE TRUE REMNANT STAND, SHINE AND SHOUT!

As we consider these events let me ask you, have you ever found yourself forgetting what you look like, after having looked intently into the mirror of the Word? Have you found at times that you have been too afraid to face what lies ahead and are like the first 22 000 that were disarmed by fear?  Have you overcome many fears yet have lacked the proper intensity that is expected for a true set-apart believer and have found yourself going through the motions of a ‘religious duty’ while you have been clearly lazy in digging in, studying and meditating upon the Torah DAY and NIGHT! If you have, in any way, been in danger of being sifted out from the presence of יהוה due to either fear or compromise then hear this word tonight and be willing to break down all falsehood and compromise, and stand in your place in our Master and King, and guard to do all He has commanded us to! Have you been silent in your confession and proclamation of the Kingdom Reign of our coming King and found that your hands have been filled with other things that have no bearing or witness of set-apartness? Then hear the call – be cleansed through the washing of the Word and take up the responsibility to shine and proclaim in the strength of our Master!

This is a call for the remnant of the remnant to hear and fear our Mighty Elohim!

WILL THE TRUE REMNANT STAND, SHINE AND SHOUT!

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom all,

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 26:2 “Thus said יהוה, ‘Stand in the courtyard of the House of יהוה, and speak to all the cities of Yehuḏah, which come to bow themselves in the House of יהוה, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.”

Yirmeyahu was to speak to those who had come to bow themselves in the house of יהוה all the words that יהוה had commanded him to speak and he was not to diminish any word! Wow – today many people are bringing a word to the masses, and sadly it is more often than not a ‘diminished word’ – one that has been constructed carefully in order to tickle ears and make people ‘feel’ that they got something out of the message! This Word commanded by יהוה was not to ‘outsiders’, but was to those who claimed to be followers, yet what we recognise here is that they were simply coming to bow themselves in the House of יהוה out of a duty, rather than out of a pure loving obedience that is called for in the life of a called out set-apart follower of יהוה. When people are mixing their worship – that is to say that when they are so immersed in the world’s ways and follow after its desires and schemes while trying to appease their conscience at the same time by hopefully attending a weekly service when it suits them – then when they do happen to come to fellowship, they do not come to listen to the Truth, but rather come with the expectation of ‘hearing’ something they would like to hear, and hear that which will justify their lifestyle! And so when they are not walking in obedience, and the True Word reveals it, they will simply reject it and say they did not get anything out of it.

When we come together, we come together to worship our Creator, Redeemer and Saviour יהושע Messiah and surrender to His leading and guidance, to listen and obey and heed His instructions; and we come to give Him the esteem that is due, and not just to hopefully “get something out of it”! What we are to “get out of it” is the reality of the Word and be ready and willing to surrender to the Truth that sets us free, enabling us to walk in great faith as His Word equips us to worship Him with our daily lives. When you are in His Word and in His presence and you say that you “got nothing out of it” – then that is a sure sign that you are, to put it plainly, ignoring Him!!!

Yehuḏah were going to the House of יהוה yet they were, in a manner of speaking, getting nothing out of the Word, as it wasn’t changing their lives! How about you – is His Word changing your life or do you too find that you are “getting nothing out of it”? In a time when the majority prefer to have their ears tickled, the urgency for true believers to rise up and speak the Truth without hindrance is needed, and the question remains whether you are one of those who do not get much out of the Word and are being selective in your hearing so that you only choose to hear that which suits you, or are you willing to rise up and speak the Truth and make sure that you do not, in any way, diminish the Word of Elohim? In a message tonight called, ‘RISE UP AND SPEAK THE WRITTEN WORD, O BLESSED OF יהוה!’, I would like us to look at a chapter from which we can learn a  great deal. Please turn with me to Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 36 (Read).

Let me give a brief overview of those chapter and then proceed to glean some of the valuable lessons we can learn, as well as the severe warning against diminishing the Truth in any way, means or form.

We are given a couple of key marker dates in this chapter which helps us set the scene and understand what was going on at the time. In verse 1 we are told that the this word came to Yirmeyahu in the 4^th year of Yehoyaqim, son of Yoshiyahu, sovereign of Yehuḏah. So let us just recap who is who here and where in history these accounts take place, so that we are able to gain a better understanding of the clear context of this Word and be equipped in standing up and proclaiming the reign of the Kingdom of Messiah that is coming!

יְהוֹיָקִים Yehoyaqim – Strong’s H3079 means, ‘יהוה raises up’. His name was originally אֶלְיָקִים Elyaqim – Strong’s H471 which means, ‘Ěl raises up’. His name was changed by Pharaoh Neḵo, who had taken Yeho’aḥaz, the older brother of Elyaqim who had only reigned for 3 months, to Mitsrayim.

Pharaoh Neḵo had imposed a heavy levy on the land and then Yehoyaqim was basically set up as a ‘puppet king’ by Neḵo, as a buffer king between Mitsrayim and Baḇelon, which you can read about in: Diḇre haYamim Bět/2 Chronicles 36:2-3 & Melaḵim Bět /2 Kings 23:34-35. Under the oppression of the rule of Mitsrayim Yehoyaqim eagerly submitted to Pharaoh Neḵo and even built new palaces with forced labour and scarce resources. Yirmeyahu was an outspoken opponent of Yehoyaqim’s reckless behaviour that seemed to be more intent on self-interest and self-preservation under the hand of the wicked Pharaoh Neḵo than on leading the nation at a crucial time in Yehuḏah’s history. Yirmeyahu confronted Yehoyaqim, as we see in:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 22:13-19 “Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his rooms without right-ruling, who uses his neighbour’s service without wages and does not give him his wages, 14 who says, ‘I am going to build myself a wide house with spacious rooms, and cut out windows for it, panelling it with cedar and painting it in red.’ 15 “Do you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do right-ruling and righteousness? Then it was well with him. 16 “He defended the cause of the poor and needy – then it was well. Was this not to know Me?” declares יהוה. 17 “But your eyes and your heart are only upon your own greedy gain, and on shedding innocent blood, and on oppression and on doing violence.” 18 Therefore thus said יהוה concerning Yehoyaqim son of Yoshiyahu, sovereign of Yehuḏah, “Let them not lament for him: ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, my sister!’ Let them not lament for him: ‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, his excellency!’ 19 “He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and thrown outside the gates of Yerushalayim.”

After having served Pharaoh Neḵo for 4 years there was a huge turning point in Middle Eastern history. The Mitsrians had established a presence in Northern Syria after trying in vain to assist the Assyrians in retaking Haran. They had an outpost at Karkemish, which was a city on the Euphrates River near Haran. The Baḇelonians, under the leadership of Neḇuḵaḏretstsar, drove the Mitsrians (Egyptians) from Karkemish and then pursued them south toward Palestine:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 46:2 “For Mitsrayim, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neḵo, sovereign of Mitsrayim, which was by the River Euphrates in Karkemish, and which Neḇuḵaḏretstsar the sovereign of Baḇel had smitten in the fourth year of Yehoyaqim, son of Yoshiyahu, sovereign of Yehuḏah”

Yehoyaqim alarmed at the prospect of the hostile Baḇelonians being so close, even though he had been put in power by Pharaoh Neḵo of Mitsrayim, conveniently declared allegiance to Neḇuḵaḏretstsar. This move, made under threat of invasion, placed Yehuḏah now under the control of the Baḇelonians, and no longer under the Mitsrians!

The Baḇelonians continued pressing southward into Mitsrayim, and after 3 years Neḇuḵaḏretstsar was engaged in fierce fighting with Pharaoh Neḵo. However, Neḇuḵaḏretstsar was unable to subdue Mitsrayim and he finally returned to Baḇelon. It was during these 3 years that Yehoyaqim had submitted to Neḇuḵaḏretstsar, and after seeing that Neḇuḵaḏretstsar had returned to Baḇelon, he withdrew his allegiance to Baḇelon and rebelled against Neḇuḵaḏretstsar, possibly expecting help from Mitsrayim, which was a disastrous miscalculation by a wicked puppet king!

After another 3 years or so, Neḇuḵaḏretstsar came back and encamped against Yerushalayim and took Yehoyaqim and bound him in bronze shackles to bring him back to Baḇelon, and Yehoyaqim died. Yehoyaḵin, the son of Yehoyaqim reined in his place and only reigned 3 months when Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sent and brought him to Baḇel along with the utensils form the House of יהוה. Neḇuḵaḏretstsar made Tsiḏqiyahu, Yehoyaqim’s brother, sovereign over Yehuḏah. Tsiḏqiyahu was the last king of Yehuḏah, who was a wicked king that did evil in the eyes of יהוה. His name was originally Mattanyah and was changed by Neḇuḵaḏretstsar, and he reigned for 11 years. Tsiḏqiyahu rebelled against the sovereign of Baḇel, and in the 9^th year of his reign the sovereign of Baḇel came against Yerushalayim and in the 11^th year of his reign his sons were slaughtered before his eyes, and then his eyes were cut out and he was bound in shackles and was taken captive to Baḇelon. The reason for sharing this with you is to simply give you a better understanding of the historical setting of this Chapter 36 that we have read from Yirmeyahu.

Ok, so now the word of יהוה comes to Yirmeyahu in the 4^th year of the reign of Yehoyaqim – at the time Neḇuḵaḏretstsar was driving south and becoming a world power. This wicked king just followed and submitted to whoever he thought he could get the best deal from and survive. He had already killed a prophet – he killed Uriyahu, as we read in:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 26:20-23 “There was however a man who prophesied in the Name of יהוה, Uriyahu the son of Shemayahu of Qiryath Yeʽarim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Yirmeyahu. 21 And when Yehoyaqim the sovereign, with all his mighty men and all the heads, heard his words, the sovereign sought to put him to death. But Uriyahu heard of it, and was afraid and fled, and went to Mitsrayim. 22 Then Yehoyaqim the sovereign sent men to Mitsrayim: Elnathan the son of Aḵbor, and some men who went with him to Mitsrayim. 23 And they brought Uriyahu from Mitsrayim and brought him to Yehoyaqim the sovereign, who smote him with the sword and threw his dead body into the graves of the common people.”

What is clear to us is that this wicked king did not like the Truth and he would quickly surrender to the wickedness of the nations that came up against him, yet he would not submit to the clear Word of Elohim that was sent through the prophets! By the time that the word had come to Yirmeyahu to write down all the words that יהוה had spoken against Yisra’ĕl, Yehuḏah and all the nations, Yirmeyahu had been speaking for at least 22 years, as he had been speaking since the 13^th year of the reign of Yoshiyahu until this point in the 4^th year of Yehoyaqim, and still this king would not listen!

In a manner of speaking we are able to clearly see the patience of יהוה, yet we also see that those who do not give heed to the word of Truth will ultimately face the great wrath of Elohim that has clearly been proclaimed! At this point in history Yisra’ĕl had already been taken captive by the Ashshurians, and many of the words that Yirmeyahu had spoken in warning against Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim, would be against the backdrop of the reality of what had already happened to the northern 10 tribes, yet Yehuḏah remained stubborn and refused to listen!

Let me ask you at this point, “how long has יהוה been patient with you?” Perhaps you have seen the destruction of many that you know, as they have walked in rebellion to the truth, yet here you are still sitting and able to hear the Truth. Are you listening or taking the patience of our Master as a license to do whatever you please? As we consider the clear call for set-apartness, are there any areas in your life that are still being hindered by compromise and selfishness and pride? And if so, how long have you been rejecting His call for complete Set-Apartness?

It was during the reign of Yoshiyahu that the Torah was found and when the king had heard the Torah in the 18^th year of his reign he made major reforms. He was most certainly helped a great deal by the words of Yirmeyahu that had been heard for 5 years prior to the Torah being found. The finding of the Torah would have most certainly brought great clarity to a king who had been very keen to hear the Truth, while we find the opposite being true with Yehoyaqim who only wanted to pick and choose what he wanted to hear and then only follow that which he would deem to be beneficial at the time.

For 22 years Yirmeyahu had been rising up early and speaking the Word of Elohim, and now יהוה says to this very faithful prophet, ‘take a scroll and write all the words that I have spoken to you”. Every word that יהוה had spoken to Yirmeyahu for the past 22 years, against Yisra’ĕl, Yehuḏah and all the nations, was now to be written down!!! It was time for the word to be put in writing, for then the people may have taken the word serious enough and repent – especially when they would hear the written word regarding all the evil that was about to come upon them for their crookedness!

Yirmeyahu then calls his faithful scribe, Baruḵ, to come and write down all the words of יהוה that had been spoken to Yirmeyahu. Baruḵ – בָּרוּךְStrong’s H1263 means, ‘blessed’, and he was the son of נֵרִיָּה Neriyyah – Strong’s H5374 which means, ‘lamp of Yah’. Yirmeyahu – יִרְמְיָהוּ H3414 means, ‘Yahweh has appointed/Yah loosens, Yah will rise, Yah will raise up and appoint’. What we are able to see here in this very powerful chapter is that these words given to Baruḵ, are words that are also given to us – for these are the appointed words of יהוה for the blessed children of Light!

Hence my title for this message being, RISE UP AND SPEAK THE WRITTEN WORD, O BLESSED OF יהוה, for it is now time for the blessed children of the Most High to rise up and speak – are you doing this?

יהוה hates sin and will punish those who refuse to repent. What we see from this chapter is a clear lesson that no matter what man tries to blot out, the Word of Elohim stands forever! It is foolish to ignore parts of the Word that are not necessarily liked by the hearer!

Baruḵ took the scroll and read it first in the hearing of all the people who had come to Yerushalayim on a day of fasting, and then was summonsed to read it to the leaders. This was not the fast of Yom Kippur but was a fast that had been called, perhaps in an attempt at seeking the voice of Elohim, and so here was the perfect time for the written word to be proclaimed – in the hearing of all! This shows us a great picture of the kindness of Elohim that leads to repentance as we see in verse 7 that it says that it could be that when the people hear these words that they may actually repent and turn from their evil ways.

Romiyim/Romans 2:4 “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the kindness of Elohim leads you to repentance?”

Verse 8 tells us that Baruḵ did according to what Yirmeyahu commanded him and then in verse 9 we are given another date – exactly one year later, as we now come to the 9^th month of the 5^th year of Yehoyaqim when a fast was called and Baruḵ read the words of Yirmeyahu in the House of יהוה. The scroll was written in the 4^th year of Yehoyaqim and read in the 9^th month of the 5^th year of Yehoyaqim. We therefore see that there is a small gap between the writing of the Words to the day it was proclaimed by Baruḵ on the day of fasting that was called.

He read it in the House of יהוה and Miḵayehu heard these words and then rushed down to the sovereign’s house, into the scribes room and found the leaders there and he told them what he had just heard. They then sent Yehuḏi son of Nethanyahu, son of Shelemyahu, son of Kushi to go and fetch Baruḵ and the scroll that he had read to the people. Baruḵ took the scroll and went and read it to them. His reading caused these leaders to look at each other in fear because they realised that they would have to report these words to Yehoyaqim. They asked Baruḵ how the scroll was written, and he explained that Yirmeyahu had dictated all the words and he wrote them…on the scroll.

Before the meeting adjourned, those present gave a word of warning to Baruḵ. Both he and Yirmeyahu were to go and hide and not let anyone know where they were. Perhaps they gave this warning based on what Yehoyaqim had previously done to Uriyahu the prophet, when he killed him with the sword and threw his body into the graves of the common people.

These leaders went to Yehoyaqim and told him all the words they had heard, but had not yet taken the scroll to the king. Yehoyaqim sent for the scroll and told Yehuḏi to read it before him and all the heads. When Yehuḏi had only read 3 or 4 columns Yehoyaqim cut the scroll with the scribes knife and threw it into the fire! When the servants of the king saw this, not one of them were afraid and no one tore their garments in repentance. They clearly showed no respect toward יהוה and His word that He delivers through His prophets. 3 men did however plead with Yehoyaqim not to burn the scroll, and even while these 3 men pleaded with the king, Yehoyaqim and his servants showed no care or respect for the Word and only showed contempt toward Yirmeyahu and Baruḵ who they wanted to be killed.

These 3 men who tried to stop the king were אֶלְנָתָן Elnathan – Strong’s H494 which means, ‘El has given’, דְּלָיָהוּ Delayahu – Strong’s H1806 which means, ‘Yah has drawn’, and גְּמַרְיָהוּ Gemaryahu – Strong’s H1587 which means, ‘Yah has accomplished’. The names of these 3 men make it very clear before a wicked king, and those who follow in wickedness, that Elohim has given His Word, He has drawn His sword and He has accomplished His Word. This in itself was a death sentence to these wicked to whom there would be no more room for forgiveness! They had heard what had been given and by their wicked and corrupt response that destroys the validity of what was written and heard there would be no more mercy!

These 3 opposed the wicked response of the king and יהוה credits them by mentioning their names in His Word, while at the same time giving us a stern warning today that the Word of Elohim has been given, His Sword has been drawn, also pictured in Scripture for us by the drawn bow of Elohim that has His fiery arrows that are ready to be released in His wrath. His Word has accomplished for us the work of salvation and if we do not take heed to what we ought to hear, guard and do then there is no protection against His coming proclaimed wrath! These 3 men stood up to plead against a corrupt king who would not listen and we can learn from this as we too need to stand up for what is right and not be afraid to speak out against corruption and wickedness.

Yirmeyahu is a man who spoke for over 40 years without much success, and was hunted down, imprisoned, called a traitor and yet he never quit doing what he was told to do by יהוה, as he never broke down before the face of anyone who broke down the Word of יהוה. This must encourage us all today as we too must not break down before those who blaspheme and ridicule the truth and strike the validity of walking in the Torah from their lives!

What is a very interesting picture that we see here in these events, is how Yehoyaqim took the scribe’s knife and cut the scroll after hearing only 3 or 4 chapters! In a ridiculous attempt at trying to assume authority over the Word of Elohim, this wicked king used a scribes knife against the Sword of the Word of Elohim, so to speak! Would you take a pen knife to a sword fight? I don’t think so!!! Yet metaphorically speaking this is exactly what many have tried to do for centuries, as they have tried to cut away and destroy the power of the written Word of Elohim that is sharper than a doubled edged sword, through the writing of false doctrines and theologies of man that have twisted the Truth to their own destruction.

As soon as people begin to hear what they do not want to hear and what they do not like they “cut it out” so to speak and metaphorically “burn it” from their lives. People with their own knives have, and by that I mean people who do as they see fit in their own eyes, have cut the Word out of their lives!

Kěpha Bět/2 Peter 3:15-17 “and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Sha’ul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. 17 You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless”

Stay away from men with ‘pen knives’ and those who are not skilled in the Word and are unable to rightly divide the Word, and stay away from those who do not teach the difference between the set-apart and the profane and between the clean and the unclean, no matter how ear tickling their words may be!

The scroll was destroyed and Yehoyaqim sent men to find Yirmeyahu and Baruḵ and seize them, yet they could not be found as יהוה had hidden them. This is a great lesson for us in itself where we recognise that those who run in the ways of Elohim are safe and He hides us from the vain threats of the enemy!

The Hebrew word used here in verse 26 for ‘hid’ is סָתַר sathar – Strong’s H5641 which means, ‘to hide, conceal, cover’.

Tehillah/Psalm 17:8 “Guard me as the apple of Your eye. Hide me under the shadow of Your wings”

We are ‘hidden’ or ‘covered’ under the wings of Elohim – and the word wings is כָּנָף kanaph – Strong’s H3671 which means, ‘corners – an edge or extremity; a wing, (of a garment or bed clothing) a flap, (of the earth) uttermost part’, and we must be reminded that we are commanded to put ‘tzitzit’ on the wings of our garments in order to remember to guard His commands, and therefore we recognise that when we find shelter under His commands or rather when we live obediently in subjection to His commands, we find ourselves being covered by His loving-commitment to His Covenants of Promise, by which we have been grafted into by the Blood of Messiah!

What happened next? Well, יהוה told Yirmeyahu to write another scroll!!! This is a kind or type of picture that reminds us of the time that Mosheh broke the first two tablets of stone that the 10 commandments were written on and how he had to make two new tablets upon which יהוה would again write His 10 Words that the entire nation heard! Yirmeyahu had to write what had already been written… not new words… the same words… the same words that had been cut up and burnt by the wicked king! יהוה’s Word if forever!!!

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 40:8 “Grass shall wither, the flower shall fade, but the Word of our Elohim stands forever.”

This once again is a picture of the patience of Elohim, not desiring that any should perish:

Kěpha Bět/2  Peter 3:9 “יהוה is not slow in regard to the promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

The written Word must be spoken so that people can hear and repent!

While those who want their ears tickled reject the hearing of the Truth and try to scrape away the Torah we, the blessed of Elohim,  must rise up and speak the written Word!

A scribe’s knife was typically used to scrape off an error that a scribe had written, like an eraser is used today. And what we can see from this, in a metaphorical sense, is the clear ‘striking of the Word’ that is done by so many, as they have the audacity to ‘cut out’ parts of Scripture that they do not agree with and think that if it is ignored long enough it will go away. יהוה’s Word is the same yesterday, today and forever!

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 2:7 “Beloved, I write no fresh command to you, but an old command which you have had from the beginning. The old command is the Word which you heard from the beginning.”

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 2:24 “As for you, let that stay in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning stays in you, you also shall stay in the Son and in the Father.”

“From the beginning” is a very clear clue… His Word that must be heard starts ‘IN THE BEGINNING’ – Berěshith (Genesis) – which means, “in the beginning”.

Yoḥanan Bět/2 John 1:6 “And this is the love, that we walk according to His commands. This is the command, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”

As you consider the events of this chapter in Yirmeyahu you need to ask yourself what you are doing with the Word. Are you hearing, guarding and doing the Word, and therefore are being bold is taking a your stand as you rise up and speak the written Word of Elohim, or do you find yourself striking out that which you do not like to hear and find yourself turning a deaf ear to that which you need to hear?

Many may not think of physically ‘cutting’ or ‘burning’ their Scriptures, but what about those necessary things that are being conveniently neglected, such as proper tithing and the giving of offerings and support, or how about the neglecting to gather as we are commanded to as some are in the habit of doing! Neglecting to do what is being commanded in Scripture is no different than cutting or burning the written Word, and showing contempt for the Word! So the next time you are too lazy to gather on the Sabbaths and Feasts of  יהוה, carefully consider the warning that Yehoyaqim received, or the next time you neglect to pay tithes and over above your tithes you neglect to give offerings and gifts to יהוה, consider the warning and severe woe Yehoyaqim and his servants received! How about husbands and wives not fulfilling their proper roles in their marriage as they neglect to be the husband and wife that Scripture clearly teaches them to be. We could go on and on for hours as we could comb through Scripture and assess many areas that may be shown up as being clearly neglected through compromise and sin. This is not the time to be cutting out parts of the Word you do not like, nor is it time to burn it away as if it has no application in your life. The Word is alive and active, sharper than a double edged sword and we need to recognise that.

Tehillah/Psalm 12:6 “The Words of יהוה are clean Words, silver tried in a furnace of earth, refined seven times.”

Through the very life, death and resurrection of our Master and Elohim we are able to clearly recognise how clean, tried and refined his Word is and we best not cut out or burn it away in any way, but rather take up the Word and proclaim it without hindrance!

Will you, blessed one of יהוה, rise up and speak the written Word? You do know what this means don’t you? This means that you need to know the Word! This means that you need to meditate on the Torah day and night! This means that you need to walk straight in the Truth and not turn to the left or to the right in wavering compromise, lest you compromise that which you are called to proclaim! Let us hear clearly today the Word of Elohim through the written words of Yehoshua that he spoke to Yisra’ĕl in his closing speech in:

Yehoshua/Joshua 23:6-8 “And you shall be very strong to guard and to do all that is written in the Book of the Torah of Mosheh, so as not to turn aside from it right or left, 7 so as not to go in among these nations, these who remain among you. And make no mention of the name of their mighty ones, a nor swear by them, nor serve them nor bow down to them. 8 “But cling to יהוה your Elohim, as you have done to this day.”

In a time where ear tickling lawlessness is being proclaimed and entertained at large by most, let us be bold in our role as set-apart, chosen ambassadors of Messiah and proclaim the reign of the heavens that draws near!

Do not be like Yehoyaqim, which clearly pictures for us an unstable man who goes where he thinks he can get better treatment by submitting to worldly ways of the flesh, and is tossed about by every wind of teaching.

Be like Baruḵ and Yirmeyahu:

‘RISE UP AND SPEAK THE WRITTEN WORD, O BLESSED OF יהוה!’

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face upon you and give you shalom!

Romiyim/Romans 13:10-14 “Love does no evil to a neighbour. Therefore, love is completion of the Torah. 11 And do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for us to wake up from sleep, for now our deliverance is nearer than when we did believe. 12 The night is far advanced, the day has come near. So let us put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day, not in wild parties and drunkenness, not in living together and indecencies, not in fighting and envy, 14 but put on the Master יהושע Messiah, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh.”

Sha’ul was making a great appeal back then in his letter to the believers in Rome; an appeal that is still being made very loud and clear today… especially as we consider that our deliverance is nearer than many would care to believe! The call is clear – WAKE UP! And the choice is clear – walk in life or sleep in death! As we consider these words of Sha’ul we need to make sure that we are awake to the Truth and be urgent in our need to be perfecting our set-apartness before Elohim.

In a message tonight called, ‘WAKE UP AND WALK IN LIFE!’, I would like us to carefully consider these words of Sha’ul, as well as the very similar words of the stern warning and call that our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah, gives to us in His message to the assembly in Sardis. Please turn with me to Ḥazon/Revelation 3:1-6 (Read)

Sardis was a city in Asia Minor, which comprises most of what is now called Turkey, and was the chief city of Lydia and was situated about 48 km’s South East of Thyatira and about 80km’s East of Ephesus at the junction of 5 main roads. It was located on an important trade route that ran East to West in the kingdom of Lydia. Important industries included jewellery, dye, and textiles which had made the city wealthy. Sardis was also well known for its manufacture of woollen garments, a fact that had bearing on our Master’s message to this assembly. It was a centre for pagan worship, and it too, like Ephesos, had a temple built for Artemis, a temple that was more than double the size of the Parthenon. The ruins of this city that was once a very strong trade centre still remain to this day, and there is only a small village called Sart that remains on the site of this once important city of the Persian Empire. Archaeological remains of a synagogue were found, and was notably one of the largest ancient synagogues ever excavated. What is interesting to take note of is that the synagogue was found in the centre of the urban centre, instead of on the periphery as synagogues typically were. This tells us that there was a very wealthy community of believers who had been corrupted by worldliness!

Believers in Sardis had grown cold in their need to perfect set-apartness and as a result had, in a manner of speaking, fallen asleep to the need to be on guard against the influence of worldly ways. While they continued to claim to be living set-apart lives, the message given to them here clearly reveals that they had been blinded by their own compromise and needed a very stern wake up call, lest they die in their sleep! The Greek word translated here as ‘dead’ is νεκρός nekros- Strong’s G3498 which means, ‘dead, deceased, corpse’, and in the Greek it has the clear meaning of one who has breathed their last breath and is now lifeless! Metaphorically this also has the understanding of being ‘spiritually dead’, which clearly indicates a person who is destitute of a life that recognises, and is devoted to, Elohim, for they have neglected to walk in the life that His Torah leads us in. We see in the last words of Mosheh to Yisra’ĕl that he makes it very clear that the Torah is life to us:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 32:45-47 “And when Mosheh ended speaking all these words to all Yisra’ĕl, 46 he said to them, “Set your heart on all the words with which I warn you today, so that you command your children to guard to do all the Words of this Torah. 47 “For it is not a worthless Word for you, because it is your life, and by this Word you prolong your days on the soil which you pass over the Yardĕn to possess.”

One who is considered as being ‘νεκρός nekros’, in the Greek text, is one who has no life as they have given themselves over to lawlessness and sin, and are inactive in regards to doing what is right is the eyes of יהוה! This is a sobering wakeup call in itself for many today, as there are many who consider themselves to be very much alive in the word, yet they are simply dead, as their disregard for the Torah of Elohim makes this clear!

This word can also give the understanding of being inoperative and inactive, which makes clear sense of course, since a dead person or corpse cannot do anything, yet in light of these words being spoken what we must take heed of here is the sobering warning that is being given to people who assumed to be alive and doing great things, and were even well known!

Doing great things and gaining popularity will not keep one alive, for it is only the guarding of the Torah and commands of Elohim that will keep one alive!

The Greek word Σάρδεις Sardeis – Strong’s G4554 means, ‘red ones’, which I find very interesting as we can see that the message is given to all who are still ‘sleeping’ in the world! The Hebrew word for man or mankind is אָדָם aḏam – Strong’s H120 which means, ‘man, mankind, human, person’ and so this collectively refers to both men and women! The noun  אָדָם aḏam – Strong’s H120 comes from the root verb אָדֹם aḏom – Strong’s H119 which means, ‘to be red, ruddy’, which according to Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, comes from the parent root דָּם dam – Strong’s H1818 which means, ‘blood, bloodguilt, bloodshed’.

In the Ancient Hebrew alphabet the word דָּם dam – Strong’s H1818 which means, ‘to be red, ruddy’, looks like this:

Dalet – דָּ:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as a ‘tent door’. It can also have the meaning of ‘a back and forth movement’, as one goes back and forth through a tent door, and so speaks of an access point. It can also carry the meaning of ‘dangle’ or hanging as the tent door would hang from the roof pole of the tent. It speaks a great deal in terms of understanding the door of the tent of appointment as the only means of access.

Mem – ם:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as ‘water’, and also carries the meaning of ‘chaos’ (from the storms of the sea) and can also picture that which is mighty or massive as well as the unknown. We are also able to understand this letter as representing the nations, for the nations are often likened to the seas in Scripture. This also carries for us the picture of washing, as we understand the function of water being that which cleanses us and sustains us, showing us how we are washed and sustained by the Living Waters of the Word! This letter also can represent any liquid, especially blood!

When you combine these two pictures together we can see the meaning, ‘the moving back and forth of water” or the “flowing of blood“.

The life of all flesh is in its blood! Blood is not a dead thing… without blood we have no life! We recognise that without the Blood of Messiah being shed for us we have no life! And it is by the Blood of our Master and Elohim that we have been declared right, and as we stay in Him we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romiyim/Romans 5:9).

The Hebrew word for man, אָדָם aḏam – Strong’s H120 which means, ‘man, mankind, human, person’, has the letter ‘aleph’ (אָ) before the letters ‘dalet’ (דָ) and ‘mem’ (ם). In the ancient script the Hebrew word אָדָם aḏam looks like this:

Aleph – אָ:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as ‘the head of an ox’, and represents ‘strength’, meaning ‘muscle’ as the ox is the strongest of the livestock animals. This also carries the meaning of ‘yoke’, as an ox is placed in a yoke in order to plough or pull a heavy load in the right direction. This can also picture for us the ‘red heifer’ sacrifice that יהושע Messiah fulfilled!

Here we are able to see that the ‘strength’ of man is from the Aleph and Taw – the Beginning and the End, our Mighty Elohim, by whose Blood we have life, and life abundantly. The favourable gift of Elohim, through the Blood of Messiah has overflowed to many! Why I am mentioning this here is to highlight the clear call for sinful man to wake up and walk in the life that Messiah came to bring us by His own Blood. For the message to Sardis is clear – wake up and be strengthened or else! The call to this assembly at Σάρδεις Sardeis – Strong’s G4554 which means, ‘red ones’, is a very powerful and sobering picture that can represent both those who are awake and those who are not! Red ones can represent those who walk according to the flesh, and have no understanding of, nor even think on, the matters that are from above. This can represent those who have no oil and have no garments of righteousness. On the other hand, red ones can also symbolise those who have been washed in the Blood of Messiah and are dressed in white! Yeshayahu/Isaiah 1 speaks of the call to repent and be washed so that though our sins are like scarlet, so that they shall be as white as snow! Messiah’s Blood is the only thing that can wash us and make us white! Herein lies the clear call to wake up and live or remain asleep in lawlessness and die!

The first man sinned and through the sin of one man, sin entered into the world and death through sin, and therefore death spread to all, because all sinned. While all were made sinners through the disobedience of one, we know that through the obedience of the One – יהושע Messiah – many shall be made righteous, for the first man Aḏam became a living being, but the last Aḏam a life-giving Spirit. Through the life, death and resurrection of Messiah, we have been given the ability to be strengthened, enabling us to be upright and awake and walk in the life that His Blood brings us, as we stay in Him and walk in His Torah!

Any deviation from the Truth will cause one to grow tired and weary and in danger of being found to be asleep without oil!

To Sardis Messiah identifies Himself as the one who has the 7 Spirits of Elohim and the seven stars. When we recognise that He tells us in Ḥazon/Revelation 1 that the 7 stars are the 7 messengers to the assemblies, we also see how it is Messiah who is the Complete Word that He sends out by His Spirit, and it is at Yom Teruah that we begin to hear the Awakening Blast of the last seven Trumpets that would be blown over the 10 days and end on Yom Kippur. In the call to Sardis, they are clearly told to wake up, watch and repent! If they did not wake up then יהושע would come upon them like a thief. Herein lies the clear picture of Yom Teruah – a wakeup call.

In the Parable of the virgins all 10 were found sleeping, and only 5 had oil in their lamps! At Yom Teruah when the Awakening call goes out, we had better have oil in our lamps, and not be found to be without His Spirit, because we did not guard His Appointed Times and His Word! Yom Teruah teaches us to be awake and watchful for it is the only feast that takes place at the beginning of a month, which requires our ability to watch for the renewed moon! If we do not get Yom Teruah right, we will not know the proper time for Yom Kippur, which will cause יהושע to come as a thief, yet when we guard His Appointed Times and are awake and watchful, then we will understand His Appointed Times and be ready for His return! The warning to Sardis is clear – repent of dead works and wake up! So many today and working lawlessness and think that they are alive, yet they are dead in their sin!

Messiah was telling this assembly, “I know your works… and they have not been found to be complete before Elohim!”

The Greek word for ‘works’ is ἔργον ergon – Strong’s G2041 which means, ‘works, labour, business, employment, behaviour, deeds’.

In Mattithyahu/Matthew 5 יהושע Messiah tells us that we are the light of the world and that we must not hide the light, but that we should shine the light of His Truth in everything we do, and that our light should shine before all men, so that they see our good works and praise our Father who is in the heavens! Guess what the very next words of the Master are, after telling us to let our ‘good works’ be seen by all….:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete.”

The clarity of His words is made plain in telling us that we shall be unable to let our good works be seen by all if we destroy the Torah and the Prophets! In other words, works done without the perfection of the Torah are not deemed ‘good works’ by our Elohim, no matter how good they may seem in the eyes of the flesh!

To the assembly in Sardis Messiah says that their works have not been found complete before Elohim! The Greek word translated as ‘complete’ is πληρόω  plēroō – Strong’s G4137 which means, ‘to make full, complete, accomplish’. This is the same word used in Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:17, and this means, in essence, to fully meet what is required, and not to finish and be done with! We cannot change His Word to suite ourselves and try to fashion and shape it to fit into our comfort zones – His Word is the same yesterday, today and forever and He does not change and so we should not attempt in any way to change that which He has given us through His written Word!

Galatiyim/Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so complete the Torah of Messiah.”

The word complete here is the same word used when Messiah declares to us that He did not come to destroy the Torah but ‘fulfil’ or ‘complete’ it! In other words He came to fully meet its requirements and provide for us the Way to walk in His Torah as we remain in Him in order that we too may ‘complete/fulfil’ the Torah. Just think about it – if He fulfilled’ it in the erroneous way that is taught by many that declares it is now null and void – then how would Sha’ul tell us to fulfil something already fulfilled!!! Yes I know it sounds crazy – and guess what – it is! Because the Torah has not been made null and void – it is there for us to hear, guard and do and we have the ability in Messiah to walk in it!

The assembly at Sardis were found to be incomplete – that is to say that they were found to have neglected the need to walk fully in the Torah of Elohim, despite their many works that were seen by many, and herein lies the reminder of the words of the Master to those who do not guard His Torah!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. 22 “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ 23 “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’”

This warning and wake-up call that was given to Sardis was a much needed one, and shows the patience of our Master! Notice how He tells the assembly that He knows all the works that they have been doing and how popular they have become, for they had a name, yet He is warning them to wake up and start doing what they should so that He does not say to them that He never knew them!

This warning is something we all must take heed to, as there is always the danger of becoming complacent in one’s life, thinking that you have it all together and that you do not need to be told what you have already heard! Here Messiah makes it clear – Remember how you have received and heard! This is a warning to people who should have known better, They had heard and received the Truth, yet had been severely influenced by the world around them! So much so that, as we can see form the archaeological findings, that they had simply blended in with this pagan ridden capital, instead of being set-apart and being a clear light of the Truth to the lost!

The call to be watchful is still the call today, and the 2 Greek words translated as ‘wake up’ are: 1) γίνομαι  ginomai – Strong’s G1096 and means, ‘to come into being, to happen, to cause to become’, and 2) γρηγορέω  grēgoreō – Strong’s G1127 which means, ‘keep awake, be vigilant’, and is formed from the word ἐγείρω  egeirō – Strong’s G1453 which means, ‘to waken, raise up, arise’.

The Greek word for ‘strengthen’ is στηρίζω stērizō – Strong’s G4741 which means, ‘to make fast, establish, support, fixed, strengthen’, and has the understanding to ‘set fast (your face)’. This can only happen when one is awake, as it denotes one who has their eyes wide open and is focused on that which strengthens him. We know that our strength comes from Elohim and His Word; and here this warning clearly presupposes that the believer, who is to be strengthened, is under assault and in extreme danger of becoming uncertain and slothful in their faith and walk of Truth!

The effect or aim of strengthening is the impregnability of our belief, in spite of the troubles we have endured or are currently facing or will face in the future! Walk in life or sleep in death! Sleep is a metaphor for death, and a very clear picture of many who may be alive in the flesh today, yet are dead in the spirit and unless they wake up they will never see life!

Watching is what we are to be doing as we guard ourselves and take heed not to fall asleep; and in light of what we are discussing here let us look further at some very critical words of warning that we are to take heed of from our Master in:

Marqos/Mark 13:33-37 “Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is – 34 as a man going abroad, having left his house and given authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming – in the evening or at midnight, or at the crowing of the cock, or in the morning, 36 lest, coming suddenly, he should find you sleeping. 37 “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

The word for ‘watch’ in the above verses 34,35 & 37 is γρηγορέω  grēgoreō – Strong’s G1127 which we have already discussed, and in verse 33 the word translated as ‘watch’ is the Greek word ἀγρυπνέω  agrupneō – Strong’s G69 which means, ‘to be sleepless, wakeful, alert, keep watch’. It comes from the two Greek words: 1) α alpha – Strong’s G1 – which is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, used as a negative participle and 2) ὕπνος  hupnos – Strong’s G5258 which is the Greek word used for ‘sleep’, and while meaning sleep it also carries the understanding of ‘being under, put under’.  

In fact we get our English word ‘hypnosis’ from this word. Hypnosis is a trance-like state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject!

In Greek mythology ‘Hypnos’ was the personification of sleep and was the Greek mighty one of sleep whose palace was in a dark cave there the sun never shines and at the entrance there were poppies and other hypnotic plants. The Roman equivalent to this pagan mighty one was ‘Somnus’ from which the English word ‘insomnia’ is derived – ‘in..’ meaning ‘no or to not’ and ‘somnus’ meaning sleep!

So what we clearly understand in the command to ‘watch’ is that we are to ‘keep awake, be vigilant’ and DO NOT SLEEP or get hypnotised under the spell of the false doctrines of man!

This is a huge wake-up call that should warn us against complacency and the vain assumption that many often have, thinking that they are standing strong while there are subtle compromises in their lives! In speaking of the examples of those who whored away from the Truth, Sha’ul tells us in:

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 10:11-12 “And all these came upon them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come, 12 so that he who thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall.”

Twice in its long history Sardis was captured, each time because of its sentries who had failed to do their jobs faithfully by keeping watch. Here was a city, that was also a military city, situated on an inaccessible plateau, 1500 feet above the main road, which formed and impregnable fortress, yet it was captured twice for failure of the sentries to ‘keep watch’.

This teaches us a vital lesson in being on guard against thinking that we are immune to complacency and compromise.

It is clear from these words, and the historical evidence we have from this city, that the believers were not aggressive in their witness to the city. There was no evidence of persecution, and this would be because there was no invasion of the ‘enemies’ territory – and no advancement of the Besorah of the Kingdom! No friction often means that there is no motion. The unsaved in Sardis saw the assembly as a respectable group of people who were neither dangerous nor desirable; decent people with a dying witness and a decaying ministry! This is what we are to be on guard against!

Sardis did have a remnant of dedicated people! This we see as a repeated thread or pattern through Scripture – there is always a remnant few who will not give in to the ways of the world! The Greek word for ‘few’ is ὀλίγος oligos – Strong’s G3641 which means, ‘few, little, small’, and is the same word used in the Master’s words in:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:14 “Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

He again says in:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 9:37 “Then He said to His taught ones, “The harvest truly is great, but the workers are few.”

Mattithyahu/Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

What is made clear here in these words given to Sardis is still the same today – this walk is a narrow walk, and there are few on it – and by few I mean really a little. There may have been one of the biggest and most popular synagogues in Sardis, yet the masses who were in it were dead, and there was only a remnant few in Sardis. A few that will walk with the Master in white, because they are worthy! The Greek word for ‘worthy’ is ἄξιος axios – Strong’s G514 which means, ‘worthy, due reward, befitting, deserving’, and this can have both a positive and a negative meaning, as we know that each will get what they deserve and will be rewarded according to the works of the hands! These few were worthy to walk with the Master – a few who had forsaken all to walk in life and not fall asleep!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 10:37-38 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take up his stake and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

The promise to be clothed in white would have been especially meaningful to the people who lived in a city where woollen garments were manufactured. And the statement about the names being blotted out would also be significant to the people in the Roman Empire, where citizenship was vitally important. The warning here is that we do not grow comfortably complacent in our lives, lest we find ourselves dying. For the remnant few who overcome and keep their garments clean there is the promise of life, a life that the remnant few choose to walk in now, while others are falling asleep in death!

Where are you? From this passage we are able to see that names can be blotted out, or they can be kept secure in the Master!

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 7:1 “Having, then, these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting set-apartness in the fear of Elohim.”

The Greek word used here for ‘defilement’ is μολυσμός  molusmos – Strong’s G3436 meaning, ‘defilement, filthiness, an action by which anything is defiled and rendered unclean and unfit’ and comes from the word μολύνω molunō – Strong’s G3435 meaning, ‘to stain, defile, soiled’, which is used in Ḥazon/Revelation 3:4. We are to keep our garments from being stained or soiled by sin and compromise and cleanse ourselves in the Blood of Messiah and obey His Word!

Perhaps you have been relying on your past success of standing in faith to keep you going today and grown so accustomed to being comfortable on past victories that you find yourself actually in a place where you discover that you are dying, for you have become complacent in your walk with Elohim. This assembly who had the appearance of life on the outside, is seen by the Master יהושע, who sees what is on the inside, and He can clearly see that there is no life in them, even though they themselves claimed to be alive and kicking. What man often sees is not the reality of what Elohim sees.

Have you like the city at Sardis, who through lack of watchfulness, allowed the enemy to capture you because of your falling asleep to the Word, and have found that you have become defiled with the things of the world? Then hear this call to wake up and strengthen what remains!

Perhaps your works of obedience have not been complete in the sight of Elohim; then remember what you have received – for you have received the favourable gift of life! Remember what you have heard – you have heard His word – obey it completely! Perfecting set-apartness is a daily expectation of a true believer who is consistently steadfast in strengthening themselves in the Master, being enabled to overcome the compromises of the flesh. How are you doing? Are you awake, or are these sobering words of the Master like a dream to you? Now is the time to wake up and walk in life! How old is your testimony is often a valid question we should ask ourselves. We need to be a people who are always ready to give a reason of the sure hope we have in Him, in and out of season. That is to say that our testimony and witness of Him must be a daily living one, not plagued by compromise and the threat of falling asleep under the weight of sin and lawlessness, nor being put to sleep by the worries of this life and the deceit of wealth that chokes out the life of the Word, putting many to sleep!

In order to clothe ourselves with Messiah we first need to wake up, and then clean up – rid ourselves of the dirt of the world and keep our garments clean, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the set-apart ones!

In a world that has been hypnotised by falsehood and the vanities of the flesh, let us be watchful and strengthened in the life giving Word of our Master, as we walk in Him and guard His commands, for His Blood cleanses and strengthens us to stay in Him and not be lacking in anything!

Qoheleth/Ecclesiastes 9:8 “Let your garments be white at all times, and let your head lack no oil.”

The hour has already come for us to wake up from sleep! Hear the clear call to wake up and walk in life, and be urgent in calling those who are asleep to wake up to, as they see your good works of obedience – stay clean, stay oiled and overcome you “red ones” of Messiah!

He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies!

יהוה bless your and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom