“He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals His thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— YHVH Elohim Sabaoth is His name.”  (Amos 4:13)

God has many titles and names depending on how he reveals and expresses Himself.  In this article, we will focus on one of the most encompassing of all the names of God —YHVH Sabaoth.

YHVH is God’s personal name.

In Hebrew, only consonants are written, so people might pronounce YHVH as Yehova or Yahweh, depending on which vowels are inserted.

We will simply use the four letters—YHVH.

By pairing YHVH with the Hebrew word Sabaoth, we get a title that is often translated as LORD of Hosts or LORD of Armies.  But those titles are so limiting in contrast to the true significance of this name.

What is Sabaoth?

Sabaoth is the feminine form of the Hebrew word tsaba, which means army, war or warfare.  In fact, the Israeli military calls itself Tzva Haganah Le’Yisrael (literally, Israel Defense Army).

Yet, tsaba is often used in the Hebrew Scriptures not to refer to a military army but a “vast array” or “host” of resources available to the infinite God of the Universe.

The first time we see the word tsaba is in the completion of Creation.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all  their hosts [seba’am].” (Genesis 2:1)

Here and in other Scriptures, the masculine form of tsaba refers to the entire universe and all of God’s perfect creation on earth.  He made it.  He is Lord over all of it:  lightning and wind, sun and moon, man and woman, animals and plants. Everything!

Now, imagine the result when we combine tsaba with the personal name of God, YHVH—we get a name that gives us a glimpse into how marvelously Almighty and all powerful He truly is.

Let’s take a look at God’s majesty through His name and title:  YHVH Sabaoth

 

The God of Infinite Resources

“Restore us, O YHVH Elohim Sabaoth (O LORD God Sabaoth)! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!”  (Psalm 80:19)

The name YHVH Sabaoth is used 235 times in the Bible.

We first see it in a desperate prayer by a barren woman opening her heart before God and begging for a child. She pleads with YHVH Sabaoth out of anguish and great anxiety, calling upon a God of greatness and supreme power.

Hannah prays, “O LORD of hosts [YHVH Sabaoth], if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, …for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”  (1 Samuel 1:11, 16)

Hannah is facing one of those monumental obstacles in life that is beyond her power to overcome. She is filled with unspeakable despair, which threatens to overcome her.

This story of Hannah’s prayer is all the more meaningful when we consider the surrounding cultures of her time.

Gentile peoples throughout the Middle East had specific gods, or names of gods, for specific requests: a fertility god for pregnancy, a war god for military conquests, or a god of harvest for agricultural needs, for example.

Whether or not Hannah knew of these gods, she calls out to the One True God as YHVH Sabaoth, “God of Hosts” for her fertility request.

Hannah does not need an army or a military victory.

She needs the Comforter who soothes her tormented soul. 

She needs a God who defends her and will remove her shame in the community because she is barren.  At that time, not having children was a sign of being cursed or a sinner.

She needs the Creator who established the universe and brings life into being.

She needs an enormous Savior for a predicament humanly insurmountable.

She found all of this in YHVH Sabaoth at the birth of her son Samuel.

There Is Power in the Name and Authority of YHVH Sabaoth

While YHVH Sabaoth can be seen as an intimate God who is with us in the details of our human experience (like Hannah in her plight of barrenness), He is also a warrior God who commands armies on behalf of His People.

Imagine someone trying to fight against God! Yet, someone did—Goliath of the Philistine army.

“I defy the armies [maarakah] of Israel,” said Goliath with weapons drawn, ready for tsaba (warfare).

David responds, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts—YHVH Sabaoth—the God of the armies [maarakah] of Israel, whom you have defied.”  (1 Samuel 17:10, 45)

While Goliath openly defies the greatness of Israel’s armies, David reminds him that he is coming in the name of the God of Israel’s armies; and in doing so, the will of God to defeat the giant Goliath is accomplished.

Holiness in the Presence of YHVH Sabaoth

In the face of such greatness is holiness, unlike any king or military commander on earth can ever expect to possess.

Moses appointed Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and possess the Promised Land.  Just before taking Jericho, a man appeared to him.
Joshua asks this man, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

He replies with his sword drawn that he is “commander [sar] of the army [tsaba] of the Lord.”  (Joshua 5:13–14)

This man is clearly the chief leader of a military unit of power under the authority of YHVH.  And with such greatness, he commands Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”  (Joshua 5:15)

Holiness envelops God’s presence.  In Heaven, for instance, the seraphim who surround our King on His throne are consumed with His holiness, proclaiming,

“Holy, holy, holy is YHVH Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of His glory.”  (Isaiah 6:3)

We are to keep His holiness at the forefront of our thoughts.

Too often, we judge how good or holy we are based on the “bad behavior” of those around us.

When we take our eyes off of YHVH Sabaoth, we forget that He is sitting on His throne in Heaven as the true standard bearer, and we are to live our lives according to what He considers to be good behavior.

As we see the holiness of YHVH Sabaoth, we cannot help but be consumed with the reality of how much we fall short of His standards.

Like Isaiah, we might cry out, “Woe to me! … I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, YHVH Sabaoth.”  (Isaiah 6:5)

When the LORD sees a heart sincerely humbled before Him, seeking to return to His standards, He removes our guilt and commissions us to move forward in His service.

In Isaiah’s case, one of the seraphim (angels) touched his lips with a live coal and said, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then the Lord said, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”

Isaiah responded, “Here am I. Send me!”  (Isaiah 6:6–8)

The Master of the Universe is still looking for humbled people who will answer the call to do His Kingdom work according to Kingdom principles that are assigned by YHVH Sabaoth Himself.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above.”  (James 1:17)

How do we respond to His call?

Like Hannah, we are to pray.  He will answer according to His will.

Like David, we are to call upon His authority against enemies of His Kingdom.

Like Joshua, we are to acknowledge and show respect for His holiness.

And like Isaiah, we are to go into our workplaces, communities, and families as humbled, forgiven ambassadors of YHVH Sabaoth, spreading the Good News of the Kingdom of God—first to the Jew and then the Gentile.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion,  “Your God reigns!”  (Isaiah 52:7)

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Chukat (Statute or Decree)
Numbers 19:1–22:1; Judges 11:1–33; Hebrews 9:1–28

“This is a requirement [חֻקַּ֣ת / Chukat / statute] of the law [Torah] that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer [parah adumah].”  (Numbers 19:2)

Last week in Parasha Korach, the Levite Korach incited mutiny against Moses.  He and 250 chieftains of Israel questioned the anointed position of Moses as leader and Aaron as high priest.

This week’s Torah portion, called Parasha Chukat, presents the ritual laws of the Parah Adumah (פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה / Red Heifer) and the deaths of Aaron and the prophetess Miriam, Moses, and Aaron’s sister.

The Bridge from Impurity to Purity

To purify the Temple vessels and priest, the chosen red heifer (a young female cow that has not yet borne a calf) was to be blemish and defect free.  It also must never have borne a yoke.

It would be slaughtered under the supervision of the Jewish Priest (Cohen), who would then sprinkle its blood seven times toward the Tabernacle.  Its body would be burned outside the camp and its ashes used to create the waters of purification.

The waters of purification are necessary to ritually cleanse those who had been contaminated by death through contact with a corpse, bone, or grave.  Once purified, they could enter the Tabernacle to draw near to the Living God.

In Hebrew, the concepts of clean and unclean or pure (tahor) and impure (tamei) are akin to an insider and an outsider.  Only those who were tahor (clean / pure) could enter the dwelling place of God’s presence.

Those who were deemed tamei (unclean / defiled) would be kept outside and, if not purified, would be cut off from Israel — for example, lepers.

Along with the ashes of the Parah Adumah being added to the waters of purification, three other elements were put in:  hyssop, cedar wood, and scarlet thread.

These elements were all used in the building of the sanctuary.  The hyssop was used by the priests for sprinkling the blood, the cedar wood was used for the posts, and the scarlet thread was used in the curtains.

Through this mysterious mixing — the sacred elements combined with the ashes of the heifer — death and life would come together in order to bring forth cleansing and purification, which would allow a person to cross the bridge from tamei to tahor.

The Brit Chadashah (New Testament) also speaks of the ashes of the Parah Adumah, promising that the blood of the Messiah has greater power to cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God:

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God?”  (Hebrews 9:13–14) 

Miriam Perishes in the Wilderness

“Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.”  (Numbers 20:1)

Besides the symbolism of life and death in the waters of purification, this week’s Parasha also provides some details of the death of Moses and Aaron’s sister, Miriam, in the Wilderness of Zin.

Her death occurs about one year before the Israelites enter the Promised Land, and it is also connected to water.

The last time we read about Miriam, she had been stricken with tzara’at (leprosy) as a punishment for speaking against Moses’ choice of a Cushite (Ethiopian) wife.

The tzara’at caused her to become tamei (defiled / impure), and she was exiled from the camp for the required period of seven days after “Moses cried out to the LORD, ‘Please, God, heal her!’”  (Numbers 12:13)

Miriam lived many years after this, healed of her leprosy, and apparently never again allowed pride and arrogance to cause her to speak against the leadership of Moses.

Miriam had played an important role in the prophetic fulfillment of God’s promise to bring Israel out of Egypt, and two of the biggest highlights involved water.

She was the one who carefully watched over baby Moses as he floated among the reeds of the Nile River in a basket.  She bravely intervened and offered her mother’s services as a wet nurse when Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him.

Miriam led the procession of women singing, dancing, and rejoicing with tambourines after God safely led the Israelites through the waters of the Red Sea on dry land while drowning the pursuing Egyptian army.

Although Miriam was considered a leader and prophetess, her death is mentioned only briefly in the Scriptures.  No mention is made of the usual mourning period.  Rabbinic commentary suggests that Moses and Aaron buried her in the middle of the night (Yalkut Shimoni Mas’ei 787), and it seems that Moses and the people did not mourn her properly.

After Miriam’s death, the people thirsted for water and complained, yet again:

“Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to bring us to this terrible place, a seedless place without a fig or a vine or a pomegranate, without even water to drink?”  (Numbers 20:5)

A vine can represent a mother at home with her children, like little shoots all around her table; therefore, some commentaries say that the people who complained were mourning the loss of Miriam, who was like a mother to the Israelites, especially the women and children.  If this is true, they were misdirecting their anguish.  (Psalm 128:3) 

The Well of Miriam

According to Jewish tradition, a water-bearing rock followed the Israelites in the wilderness, but dried up and disappeared at Miriam’s death.  First Corinthians 10:1–4 is seen by some to confirm this rock:

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were mikvahed [baptized] into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Messiah.”

This rock is called the Well of Miriam because the water that flowed from it was based on her merit.  One Jewish Midrash fills in the gaps found in this tersely-written Bible account of her death with the following story:

“Miriam died, and the well was taken away so that Israel would recognize that it was through her merit that they had had the well.  Moses and Aaron were weeping inside, and (the Children of) Israel were weeping outside, and for six hours Moses did not know (that the well was gone), until (the Children of) Israel entered and said to him: For how long will you sit and cry?

“He said to them:  Should I not cry for my sister who has died?  They said to him:  While you are crying for one person, cry for all of us!  He said to them:  Why?  They said to him:  We have no water to drink.  He got up from the ground and went out and saw the well without a drop of water (in it).  He began to argue with them….”  (Otzar Midrashim)

Whether a rock followed them, providing water, or Adonai gave them water wherever they went through other means, He did show mercy for their thirst, telling Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water.

Nevertheless, before following through on God’s command to give them water, Moses responded in anger to their complaining, or perhaps anger at Adonai for Miriam’s death, saying, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?”  (Numbers 20:10)

There is a play on words in this verse.  The Hebrew word for rebels (morim מרים) is spelled the same as the name Miriam (מרים) in Hebrew.

It seems that Moses is thinking of his sister Miriam and had not yet properly mourned.  He may have misdirected his anger about her death toward the people.

In his anger or frustration, Moses struck the rock twice and water gushed out giving the people water to drink — but God had told Moses to speak to the rock, not to strike it.

Moses failed to model obedience at a time when all of Israel was looking to him for leadership.  Therefore, the name of the water was called Meribah (which means to argue, strive or contend).

“Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.”  (Numbers 20:13)

This word, Meribah, can also be connected to Miriam.  It can be read Meri-bah, which means Miri[yam] is in it — that is, Miriam is in the waters of contention.

Although the name Miriam in Hebrew means bitterness, it can also be read Miri–yam (Miri of the sea).  So, in yet another way, this “woman of the sea” is connected to the waters flowing out of the rock after her death. 

Tending to Our Emotions

Although Moses never mentioned Miriam again after her death, and although she seemed to have been buried quickly, without great public ceremony, the memory of her has been irrepressible.

Like Moses’ anger that caused him to disobey God and strike the rock, whatever we repress instead of dealing with will ultimately demand attention.  And it might be expressed in ways not pleasing to God.  For instance, we must take the time to properly come to terms with our feelings of loss.

We must take the time to grieve, just as the people did at the end of this Torah reading for Aaron — six months after the death of Miriam.

Perhaps Moses did not take the time or did not have the luxury of that time because of his role as leader or because the people were thirsty.

Furthermore, it seems that Moses might not have brought his pain and disappointment to the Lord.  In not doing so, he missed an opportunity to model for the people his trust and faith in God’s love.  Instead, he raged and disobeyed God.

If Moses cannot model faith during such times of loss, then it is only natural that many of us will suspect that we cannot.  But we can and must.

We can bring to Him our deepest pain, our darkest despair, and our broken hearts.  He will cleanse us spiritually from our contact with loss and death, and He will heal us.

May we likewise be healers, allowing rivers of living water to flow freely out of our inner being to help bring people back into a restored relationship with Adonai through the purification we experience in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).

The post Parasha Chukat (Statute/Decree): Miriam’s Well and Moses’ Anger appeared first on Messianic Bible.

 

“Yeshua said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”  (John 8:31–32)

Are you free?

If you live in the Western world, you likely have a constitutional “inalienable right” to freedom!  You may have freedom to practice religion, freedom to speak, freedom to travel, and the list goes on.

Freedom is what we fight for as nations and as individuals.

This heart cry for liberty appears in the motto of Greece (“Freedom or Death”), the Uruguay national anthem (“Liberty, or with glory we die”), and it was the call of Patrick Henry in 1775 to “give me liberty or give me death!” that helped to convince the state’s convention to send troops to fight in America’s Revolutionary War.

Millions have, indeed, died in their fight for liberty.

Yet, is the freedom they have valiantly fought for and died for the kind of freedom God wants us to live in?

We’ll explore that answer here.

What is freedom?

God’s essence Is embedded in freedom

Living in freedom is vitally important to our Father and Creator.

Even though God considered Abraham His friend, He waited until the critical moment in Israel’s struggle for freedom to reveal His personal name — YHVH — to Moses. And He told Moses to reveal it to the enslaved Hebrew people.

Why?  So that in displaying His mighty power against Pharaoh, His “name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”  (Exodus 9:16)

God placed His whole nature, essence, and being in the center of Israel’s fight for liberty.  But there’s more to the story than that.  Their liberty came with a purpose.  The heart cry of Israel’s Father was:  “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.” (Exodus 7:16)

Whereas individual liberty is often considered the freedom to do whatever the heart desires, God’s freedom is divinely connected to serving Him.

Let’s first take a look at the kind of freedom much of the world is longing for, and then we’ll see what kind of freedom God wants you to live in.

Freedom to Serve Self

Chofesh is probably one of the favorite words of Israeli children, as it has come to mean free time or holiday.  It is also the word for something in a shop or market that is free.

The happy-sounding ani chofshi! literally means, I am free!  Like a goldfish who jumps out of its bowl into the vast waterless world.

Chofesh is often used in Israel’s history to describe a bond servant who had been set free from his service.

Early in Israel’s freedom, God allowed the People to freely choose to place themselves in the care and provision of fellow Israelites as they, in turn, served their providers as bond servants.  It is a picture of our free choice to serve God, who provides and cares for us.

God limited this period of being a bond servant to seven years:

“When you buy a male Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, but in the seventh he shall go out a free person, without debt.  If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.  If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s and he shall go out alone.”   (Exodus 21:2–4)

As a free man, he would need to provide for himself, his family, and make his own choices in daily life.

Yet, there were times that this bond servant did not want to be “free.”

Instead, he freely chose to remain under the protection and provision of his “master,” especially if the master cared for the servant better than the servant could care for himself, whether financially or otherwise.

“If [after being offered freedom] the servant, in fact, says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won’t go out a free man [chofshi],’ then his master is to bring him before the judges, and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to serve him permanently.”  (Exodus 21:5–6; also Deuteronomy 15:12)

The servant stayed out of love for his master, who was good to him and for him. True Believers in the God of Israel become His servants because He is good and He is Lord!

“O how abundant is your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear you, and accomplished for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of everyone!” (Psalm 31:19)

No one who truly says he believes, trusts in, and loves the Lord is exempt from bearing this title.  Moses, in fact, is called a “bond servant of God” (Joshua 22:5; Revelation 15:3). Even Messiah is called God’s Servant (Isaiah 53:11).

Non-Believers, on the other hand, have made their choice not to bear this title.

In Hebrew, there is a word for the freedom to choose to serve God, which
we’ll look at next.

Freedom to Serve God

In Hebrew, there is a freedom called cherut.

We see this word in the Siddur (Jewish prayer book), which refers to Passover as z’man cheruteynu, the time of our freedom.

When the People of Israel left the servitude of Pharaoh and crossed the Red Sea into freedom, God didn’t let them wander the wilderness without boundaries, shouting, “Ani Chofshi!, I am free!.”

At Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the Torah:  instructions found in the first five books of the Bible.

When Moses gave the Torah to the People, “all the People answered together and said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do!’”  (Exodus 19:8)

At this moment, the People became b’nei-chorin — free men — freely choosing to enter into a binding covenant with the Creator of the Universe.

 

Cherut freedom is not about choosing which food to eat or clothes we like to wear.  Those are merely responses to our bodily needs and desires.

Making choices out of love for God and His Word elevates freedom of choice from our devotion to self-gratification up to a spiritual union with our Father.

In this way, we see that what we choose is a direct result of who we align ourselves with.  And those choices translate to action.

If we use our free will to choose to follow God, imagine what we can
accomplish for the kingdom!

Is Freedom a Cheap Grace Gospel?

Sadly, many in the Christian community proclaim, “Ani Chofshi—I am free!” believing they live in a perpetual state of grace that covers every sin they make without consequences.

And yet, Rabbi Shaul (the Apostle Paul) warned the Believers in Corinth:

“Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  (1 Corinthians 6:9–10)

Moreover, “if we choose to go on sinning after we have learned the full truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.”  (Hebrews 10:26)

But some Believers have experienced a true washing, a setting apart for service in holiness “in the name of the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) and by the Spirit of our God.”  (1 Corinthians 6:11)

That washing away of our sins through the blood of Messiah Yeshua, through our repentance, and through the infilling of the Spirit of God Himself is the supernatural gift that we receive for entering into cherut-freedom.

It’s a gift that brings true joy.

This is the reason that Paul and Silas, when imprisoned and shackled, could sing praises to God!  (Acts 16:25)

Freedom and Faith

A right understanding of our freedom in God is foundational to our faith in Him alone.  The “free will” God gives each of us, is an invitation to choose whom we will serve and obey.

All of our actions and choices in life spring from that one decision.

If we choose to follow God, then there are responsibilities and expectations that God established for us to follow.

His rules lead to His protection, His blessings, and His love toward us.

Even though we have disobeyed God, Yeshua paid the price of our sins (penalty of death) so that our initial choice to serve sin would be paid.  He gave us a “do over,” the opportunity to make a NEW choice — to choose to voluntarily submit to God’s rule.

What will you do with that opportunity?

The post God Wants to Set You Free! Find Out How appeared first on Messianic Bible.

“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”  (Luke 18:8)

Do you have faith?

Yeshua (Jesus) asked if He would find faith on the earth when He comes again.

Speaking from His Hebraic mindset, what is this faith that Yeshua will be looking for.  And do you have it?

Let’s find out.

What Is Faith?

Faith in Hebrew is emunah—אמונה.

It shares the same root letters as the verb to trust and believe (aman), which is why we announce Amen—אמן after praying.

Saying Amen to God’s Word involves a heartfelt commitment to His faithfulness, against all odds.  It is the trust that Job had.  When everything was taken away from him, he steadfastly trusted in God’s goodness.

It is a trust that says, “Even if God says no to my prayer, I will trust that He knows best.”

“The Hebrew word Emunah means faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty, not walking away even when the going gets tough, trusting the other and honouring the other’s trust in us,” says Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom’s United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.

This is a very helpful definition for us in its Hebraic context.  But for the Greek mind, it might appear that ”to trust” and “to have faith” are two different things.

However, in Hebrew they are one and the same.  And together, they form a powerful force.

To trust and have faith is to believe.

In Israel, a Jewish follower of Messiah refers to him or herself as Ma’ameen (Believer), a word which shares the same root as emunah.  It is a word adopted from an old Jewish prayer still heard in synagogues worldwide.

This prayer has become a popular song called Ani Ma’ameen (I Believe) that often accompanies Jewish as well as Messianic folk dancing.

The words begin with a wonderfully joyful declaration:

“I believe (Ani ma’ameen) with perfect faith (emunah shlemah) that Messiah (Mashiach) will come.  And even though He may tarry, I will wait for Him, whenever He comes.”

This belief in the coming of Messiah doesn’t only belong to the Ma’ameen of Yeshua; it is also the belief of faithful Jews.  In fact, these words are the 12th of 13 Principles of Faith compiled by Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known as Maimonides in the 12th century.

Emunah in the coming of Messiah is not based on feelings, so it also applies when circumstances are not joyful.

Legend has it that the original tune of “Ani Ma’ameen” was not a happy one, but a sombre melody out of the lips of a broken Rabbi, Azriel David Fastag, on a packed cattle train to Treblinka.

The Rabbi is said to have challenged himself:  “Just now, when everything seems lost, is a Jew’s faith [in Mashiach] put to the test.”

It is the song death camp prisoners would often sing while walking into the gas chambers.

As the lively Mashiach song says, believing in the coming of Messiah is a perfect or shlemah kind of faith.  Shlemah comes from the root shalom, meaning completely whole.

This is, perhaps, why Jewish People who accept Yeshua as the promised Messiah call themselves “Completed Jews.”

Yet, even as Believers in Yeshua, our faith sometimes wanes.  In such times, we can count on Yeshua, who always has perfectly whole emunah (faithfulness) to be our firm foundation.

What Is Perfect Faith?

What does it mean that Yeshua has perfect faith?

Yeshua had a learnt, personal, mature emunah that speaks from experience, and trusts in God’s character and sovereignty.  It is a faith we are to emulate.  Yet, Yeshua goes even further.  He puts out the plea to each of us:

“Trust in God; trust also in Me.”  (John 14:1)

We can trust, rely on, and believe in Yeshua because He is the Word of God (John 1:1), and His Word forms the firm foundation that we need to build our lives upon (Matthew 7:24).

Yet, there are times when our faith in Him fades.

Rabbi Shaul (the Apostle Paul) helps us understand that this is not a quality known to our Messiah, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.”  (2 Timothy 2:13)

He is “the same, yesterday and today and forever.”  (Hebrews 13:8)

This steadiness is another meaning of emunah.  We see this in action when the Hebrew men Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses, “one on one side, and the other on the other side.  So his hands were steady (emunah) until the going down of the sun.”  (Exodus 17:12)

While there is nobody on earth we can trust wholeheartedly to be completely truthful, faithful, and steady, we can trust Yeshua to be everything He says He is forever.

And He says, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:20)

Saving Faith

It is because Yeshua is so faithful that we can be assured of our spiritual salvation through Him.

His faithfulness is a gift from God, “not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”  (Ephesians 2:9)

This is a vitally important principle because at the time of Yeshua, many tried to be saved by perfectly keeping the Torah (God’s instructions in the first five books of the Bible).

Yet, no one could keep it perfectly.

In fact, Rabbi Shaul (Paul of Tarsus) tried zealously to keep Torah to the letter as a means to become right with God.  But after encountering Yeshua first hand, He finally understood that “the life I now live, I live by the faith [emunah] of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20)

Nevertheless, that revelation didn’t stop him from being zealous to do good works for the kingdom of God or follow Torah.  And it should not stop us.

Faith in Action

“For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:10)

True saving faith doesn’t stop at merely believing in Yeshua.  It requires action to fulfill the good works that have been prepared for us in advance to fulfill.

Yes, there is work to do while on earth.

To say we have faith without doing those works is to show that we have no faith at all.

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”  (James 2:26)

Although we have learned that our works for God in a legalistic way cannot save us, God’s promises to bless us are conditional on our obedience, which is a natural product of faith.

Abraham exemplified this faith-filled action.  As he obeyed God we see that “his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”  (James 2:22)

During the 25 years that Abraham was waiting for his promised son Isaac, he had grown in faith and learned that he could trust his God so implicitly that he became a “friend” of the Almighty One of Israel (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8).

The beautiful thing is that Yeshua also calls us His friends, if we “do what He commands.”  (John 15:14)

Faith Is a Sign of Covenant Love

As always with the Lord, emunah is about relationship.

In the Book of Hosea, the Lord desires to betroth Israel to Himself through righteousness, justice, love, and mercy that both parties live out.

“I will betroth you to Me in emunah,” said the Lord.  (Hosea 2:19–20)

These divine qualities of emunah form a powerful force that unites us with God and His Son, as a bridegroom unites with his bride in anticipation of marriage—both trusting in each other to be faithful to one another, loving each other through words and deeds.

All Believers possess a certain level of this faith.  Yet, some possess an enhanced emunah—a spiritual gift of faith that rises to superior levels.

Faith as a Spiritual Gift

Like all of the Spiritual gifts mentioned in Scripture, the gift of faith is a seal of the Lord’s covenant love and commitment to us, as a wedding gift to those He betrothed.

Like all spiritual gifts, the gift of faith is given for the purpose of building up the kingdom of God.  To accomplish this goal, faith as a spiritual gift is, perhaps, a faith so steadfast and secure that it encourages others even in dire situations.

It is a faith that keeps our hand in His no matter what.  Even in the darkness, we trust that He will watch over us and guide us because He is always with us.

Yet, having such a powerful gift means nothing if it doesn’t express itself in love for God and for one another.  Paul says,

“If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing,” wrote Rabbi Shaul.  (1 Corinthians 13:2)

While Believers have varying degrees of emunah and love for each other, “the greatest of these is love.”   (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Faith Has Chutzpah

Perhaps one way to test the level of faith we have is to see how far we push the boundaries of that faith.  That is, how much chutzpah (nerve) do we show our family, friends, and neighbors as we live out the Word of God in our lives?

Let’s look at some examples of this chutzpah:

By faith, Moses chose not the pleasures of Egypt.

By faith, Ruth took the advice of her mother-in-law and, as a result, became the great-grandmother to King David.

By faith, Esther entered the chamber of the king uninvited, thereby risking her life. And Israel survived.

By faith, Daniel ate just fruit and vegetables, refusing the king’s delicacies.  By faith his three friends said no to bowing down to the statue.  And they all survived.

Both a Roman centurion and a Canaanite woman broke through their cultural and religious boundaries and reached out for a supernatural encounter from Yeshua (Mark 8:10; Matthew 15:28).

Hebrews chapter 11 reminds us of a whole list of Biblical characters whose lives are examples of how to live out our faith.

And Yeshua tells us many times not to be afraid; we demonstrate our faith in Him when we fear not!

We are to live by the emunah shlemah (perfect faith) of the Son of God, not fearing bad news (Psalm 112:7), not being afraid of people or situations, but rejoicing because He is in control.

What does that look like?

On a stormy sea with Yeshua asleep, His disciples cried out, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He rebuked them, saying “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”  (Matthew 8:23–27)

Not only does Yeshua control the winds and the waves, but all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him.  (Matthew 28:18)

So, let us fear not and show some chutzpah!

Will Yeshua Find Faith?

In the end, it need not be so difficult to have the kind of faith that Yeshua is looking for when He returns and while we live out all that God has called us to do.

Developing that faith is, again, about relationship.

Emunah includes the little word em (אם) or mother.

Like the love of a mother who feeds, teaches, and protects her child, emunah is a nurturing, deep, inner conviction from the Holy Spirit given to those who believe in Messiah, causing us to know God as Abba (Daddy).  (Ephesians 1:13, Romans 8:9, 11, 15-16)

We are to be like a child who clings to our mother and father for sustenance, seeking lovingkindness, protection, guidance, and even correction.

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 18:3–4)

The more we humble ourselves before our Saviour, Messiah Yeshua, the easier it is to trust and believe in all that He says.

The more we put that trust and belief into action for the Kingdom of God, the more faith and confidence we will develop to do even greater deeds.

And our deeds will be remembered forever.

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.  And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life.  And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.”  (Revelation 20:12)

Amen! 

The post Do You Have the Faith Yeshua Is Looking For? A Hebraic Perspective appeared first on Messianic Bible.

Korach (Korah)
Numbers 16:1–18:32; 1 Samuel 11:14–12:22; Acts 5:1–11

“Korach son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites — Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth — became insolent and rose up against Moses.” (Numbers 16:1–2)

In last week’s Parasha (Torah portion) Shelach Lecha, the seeds of rebellion were sown as the Israelites threatened to replace Moses as their leader.  So great was their fear of the giants in the Promised Land, and so great was their unbelief that they would be able to overcome those giants, that they wanted to forsake the promises of God and return to Egypt.

In this week’s Torah study, the rebellion continues with the mutiny against Moses’ leadership by a man named Korach (קֹרַח), which means baldness, ice, hail, or frost.

The Abomination of Strife and Division

God loves peace and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) dwells in peace (shalom).

God hates strife, discord, and division between brothers, calling the one who sows them an abomination:

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: … one who sows discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16, 19)

To highlight this sin, the Scripture portion this week is also called the Parasha of Machloket (Strife) since Korach created division, strife, and disaster within the community through his rebellion, discontent, and dirty politics.

In fact, the name Korach is derived from Korcha, which means split.

With an utter lack of humility, Korach, who was a Levite, rose up against Moses, joining forces with Datan and Aviram, who were from the tribe of Reuben, along with On, son of Pelet and 250 respected chieftains from the Israelite community.

But what charge did the rebels have against Moses?

They accused him of exalting himself over the community:

“They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, ‘You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them.  Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?’”  (Numbers 16:3)

In fact, this sin that they accused Moses of was, in reality, their own sin.  Sadly, many are guilty of such self-deception and projection.

It is vital to realize that people often unknowingly judge others for the very sins that they themselves are committing.

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”  (Romans 2:1)

Moreover, wicked people don’t necessarily realize that their deeds are evil, having internally justified themselves that their way is the right way.  This in no way negates the seriousness of that sin, however.

The Genesis of Discord and Strife

Wisdom calls for discerning the underlying motivation of a brother creating strife before making judgments and issuing condemnations.  And this is just what Moses did.

Moses knew the reason for Korach’s discord — the dark desire that lurked in his heart to exalt himself and the Levitical priesthood to the position God had expressly granted to the Aaronic priesthood.

Since God Himself had made the priesthood and outlined the duties of the Levites, they acted in rebellion against the authority of God.

Moses pinpointed the problem when he said,

“Hear now, you sons of Levi: Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you?”  (Numbers 16:8–10)

Not too long before their rebellion, God chose the Levites to be caretakers of the Holy Tabernacle — the structure and its vessels — as servants to the Aaronic priesthood.

While all Levites serve God, Aaron and his descendants held the special appointment of being allowed to approach the altar to perform sacrifices.  The Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) could even enter the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stood, a status that would certainly stir some hearts to great envy.

Moses pointedly asked the group, “Are you seeking the priesthood also?”

The Word of God warns us against this sort of self-aggrandizing ambition as it brings with it great evil.

“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (James 3:16)

Envy and selfish ambition cause all kinds of trouble in our personal lives, not only at home or at work, but also in congregations and fellowships as those who are neither qualified nor anointed vie for positions God never intended them to occupy.

Death and Separation: The Consequence of Strife

“Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, ‘We will not come up.’”  (Numbers 16:12)

Korach sinned by coveting the more prestigious role of the Aaronic priesthood, rather than that of Levitical servanthood. Unlike Datan and Aviram, he had the courage to confront Moses directly, face to face.

During this confrontation, Datan and Aviram seemed to remain in their tents.  They sinned by rebelling against Moses’ authority over them as God’s divinely appointed leader.  When Moses called for them, they replied, “Loh na’aleh (we won’t go up).”

Ironically, those who refused to “go up” to negotiate peace with Moses ended up “going down” to their deaths.  The earth swallowed them up (as well as their families and Korach’s family) alive.

“So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.”  (Numbers 16:33)

The other 250 in the group, who were offering incense to God and therefore elevating themselves to the position of the Aaronic priesthood, were consumed by fire.  (Numbers 16:35)

The firepans on which they were offering incense were pounded into copper plating for the altar, a visible warning for the Levites to stop encroaching on the Tabernacle and assuming the responsibilities of the Aaronic priesthood.

It also served as a reminder to the community of Israelites that sowing strife, questioning God’s leadership, and exalting themselves to positions of leadership ultimately lead to their own destruction.

“A worthless person, a wicked man … he sows discord.  Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.”  (Proverbs 6:12–15)

Wisdom and Godly Company: Avoiding the Korachs of Today

The rabbis consider this rebellion of Korach the most perilous moment for Israel during its wilderness journey, remembering Korach as the “Torah’s professional troublemaker and the most famous rabble-rousing Jew of all time.” (Torah with a Twist of Humor)

Pointing to the negative example of Korach as a “peddler of hatred,” the rabbis caution that we should not befriend evil people (al titchaber im rashah).  Indeed, Proverbs 13:20 counsels that “a companion of fools will suffer harm.”

This is one of the main lessons that we may learn from this Torah portion.

King Solomon (Shlomo), whose very name comes from the Hebrew word for peace (shalom), advises us to find wisdom, which prevents us from following wicked, devious people:

“Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.”  (Proverbs 2:12–15)

In fact, in this Torah reading, Moses warned the people of Israel to move away from the tents of Korach, Datan, and Aviram lest they be destroyed by God’s judgment of their sin, as well:

“Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.” (Numbers 16:26)

The Apostle Paul confirms this sage advice of King Solomon and the rabbis: “Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character.”  (1 Corinthians 15:33)

That is not to say that we should not minister to those who are caught in sin.

Yeshua (Jesus) ate with and talked to sinners and social outcasts — tax collectors, prostitutes, adulterers, beggars and lepers.  He loved them enough to share the Kingdom of God with them and called them to repentance and holiness.

He did not, however, allow their sinful desires and behavior to influence or deter His holy purpose.  And He did not allow any outside influence to taint the holiness of His calling.

Likewise, we should not allow strife, jealousy, self-aggrandizement or any other sin to taint our calling as royal children of the Most High King.

And rather than being jealous of the power, prestige, position, or possessions of others, let us be content with what God has given us.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

Moreover, Yeshua said, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”  (Hebrews 13:5)

With God as our Father and Friend, we can trust Him to meet our social, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

As we’ll see next, being humble and gentle are two Godly ways we can avoid strife.

Choose Humility:  A Solution to Strife

The truth of the matter is that Moses did not exalt himself over Korach and the others; it is God who raised him up into the position of leading Israel out of Egypt.

It was not his own desire to be the leader of Israel; rather, he was a leader of Israel as an act of obedience to the Lord.  He was not in that position due to self-aggrandizing ambition or a desire to rule over others.

Even in that exalted position, Moses was called the most humble man on earth (Numbers 12:3), and we are told to humble ourselves as well.

Walking in humility is being willing to walk in obedience to our calling — whether God is requiring us to wash dishes or serve in a position of leadership or wash dishes while in a position of leadership.

It also means allowing God to exalt us in His perfect way and time — not to exalt ourselves out of jealousy or discontentment but to be content in our status today. (1 Peter 5:6)

Choose Gentleness: Another Solution to Strife

In addition to contentment and humility, we are not to seek a showdown or create a power-struggle; we are to seek harmony and peace, allowing God to judge between people.

The Bible tells us that “a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  (Proverbs 15:1)

We must remember also that we all see through the glass of God’s mysteries dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12).  One day, though, when all truth is revealed at the Second Coming of the Messiah, it may be effortless to live in a world without strife or division while our Messiah reigns from Jerusalem.  

May we all learn to walk in greater humility, contentment and gentleness towards all people; and may God bring unity and peace between brothers, as it is written, “Hinei mah tov umah na’yim; shevet achim gam yachad — Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.”   (Psalm 133:1)

The post Parasha Korach (Korah): How to Avoid the Sin of Strife appeared first on Messianic Bible.