With All My Heart and Being...

                                                ...Praise YAH!

Tonight many people around the world are celebrating, and many of those will celebrate with much gusto, putting their hearts and souls into welcoming what is generally recognized as the New Year.

If you have looked at my blog post from this time last year, you will already know that I am NOT celebrating the New Year tonight.    However, I am celebrating tonight....I am celebrating my weekly Shabbat with my Adonai.  Shabbat Shalom!

This blog post will not go into great detail regarding what YHVH's Word says about celebrating the New Year.  You can read that in my blog post from January 1, 2010.  Basically, I won't be celebrating YHVH's New Year until the spring...around April - the time around Passover  (see Exodus 12).

Okay, so January is not the month that Adonai chose and commanded for the beginning of each year.
But it is the time chosen by much of the world to begin each year.
So the question remains:
Why don't I celebrate with my friends and family?
Why do I choose to treat this day like any other day?
Why won't I attend the parties and say the traditional greetings?

The question can continue further:
Why don't I celebrate the holidays that Christianity has promoted as times to commemorate Jesus and His life on earth (e.g., Christmas and Easter)?  Why won't I participate in those?
Why won't I "fellowship" with my fellow believers by participating during these special times of the Christian year?

This question can become a paragraph and even a small booklet of questions:
Why do I insist on using YHVH's and Yahshua's Hebrew names?
Why do I celebrate the Feasts of the Old Testament rather than the Christian holidays?
Why do I follow Adonai's menu rather than the commonly accepted menu of the people around me?
Why must I be so different?

And then that last question frequently leads to the underlying (and sometimes openly hinted at) questions of:
Why must I be so difficult?
Why must I be so rebellious against Christian tradition?
Why do I alienate the people around me by making these choices?

The answer to all of these is quite simple - profoundly important to me, yet simple...

I don't want to pour all my energy, my passion, my heart and soul into something that is not what Adonai wants from me, into some tradition that goes against His Word.  Rather I want to pour all that I am, my heart and soul, into who HE IS, what HE says to be and do, what His Word commands.  My greatest desire is to know, to love, and to live in relationship with YHVH, the King of the Universe, my Creator, my Redeemer, my Adonai, through Yahshua the Messiah!

Do you know how many times our Adonai tells His people to do something with all of their heart and soul...with all of their very being?

Let's take a look at some of the familiar places in YHVH's Word.

1.  Moses, in Deuteronomy, constantly reminded the Israelites of YHVH's words and commands:

Deuteronomy 6:1-6
And this is the command, the laws and right-rulings which יהוה (YHVH) your Elohim has commanded...so that you fear יהוה your Elohim, to guard all His laws and His commands which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life....Hear, O Israĕl: יהוה (YHVH) our Elohim, יהוה (YHVH) is one! And you shall love יהוה (YHVH) your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart...

Deuteronomy 10:12, 13
And now, Israel, what is יהוה your Elohim asking of you, but to fear יהוה your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, to guard the commands of יהוה and His laws which I command you today for your good? 

Deuteronomy 13:1-4
When there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he shall give you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder shall come true, of which he has spoken to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other mighty ones – which you have not known – and serve them,’ do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for יהוה your Elohim is trying you to know whether you love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being. Walk after יהוה your Elohim and fear Him, and guard His commands and obey His voice, and serve Him and cling to Him.

Deuteronomy 30: 5-11
And יהוה your Elohim shall bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And He shall do good to you, and increase you more than your fathers. And יהוה your Elohim shall circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, so that you might live...And you shall turn back and obey the voice of יהוה and do all His commands which I command you today....For יהוה turns back to rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard His commands and His laws which are written in this Book of the Torah, if you turn back to יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being. For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off.


2.  When Joshua blessed the tribes of Israel, he also reminded them:


Joshua 22:2-5
And [Joshua] said to them, “You, you have guarded all that Moses the servant of יהוה commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brothers these many days, up to this day, but have guarded the Charge, the command of יהוה your Elohim.  And now יהוה your Elohim has given rest to your brothers, as He promised them. So now, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of יהוה gave you beyond the Jordan. Only, diligently guard to do the command and the Torah which Mosheh the servant of יהוה commanded you, to love יהוה your Elohim, and to walk in all His ways, and to guard His commands, and to cling to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your being.

3.  David spoke these words to his son Solomon:

1 Kings 2:3-4

And guard the Charge of יהוה your Elohim: to walk in His ways, to guard His laws, His commands, His right-rulings, and His witnesses, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, so that you do wisely all that you do and wherever you turn; so that יהוה does establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons guard their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their being,’ saying, ‘there is not to cease a man of yours on the throne of Israel.’ 

4.  King Josiah and King Asa both turned the people back to the commands of YHVH:

2 Kings 23:2-3, 25

And the king [Josiah] went up to the House of יהוה with all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the House of יהוה.   And the king stood by the column and made a covenant before יהוה, to follow יהוה and to guard His commands and His witnesses and His laws, with all his heart and all his being, to establish the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant....And before him there was no king like him, who turned back to יהוה with all his heart, and with all his being, and with all his might, according to all the Torah of Moses; and after him none rose up like him. 

2 Chronicles 15:12-15

And they entered into a covenant to seek יהוה Elohim of their fathers with all their heart and with all their being; and whoever would not seek יהוה Elohim of Israel would be put to death, from small to great, from man to woman.  And they swore to יהוה with a loud voice, with shouting and with trumpets and with rams’ horns.  And all Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their being. And He was found by them, and יהוה gave them rest all around. 

5.  It is the cry of Psalm 84:2

My being has longed, and even fainted, 
For the courts of יהוה; 
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.


6.  Yahshua confirmed that this is the greatest command of YHVH:

Matthew 22:36-40
 “Teacher, which is the great command in the Torah?” 
 And יהושע (Yahshua) said to him, “ 'You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great command. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.” 

I would like to give an example of why I want to follow the Word of YHVH rather than just depending on and following tradition.  This example is something that at first glance seems simple and unimportant, but upon deeper understanding and reading of the Word of YHVH becomes so deeply significant.

The word "HALLELUYAH."
It is also commonly spelled Alleluia and Hallelujah and sometimes Halleluia.  I have even seen it spelled as Halaylooyah.  I guess it can be a tricky word to spell just by sounding it out!

I, too, have had difficulty remembering how to spell this word and never really knew which form to use...until I actually read enough of God's Word to realize how important this word is.

We throw it around as a "catch-all" religious phrase.  We use it casually, without even thinking about it...
"Hey look, there's a dollar on the ground!  Hallelujah!"
"The store had my favorite kind of ice cream...hallelujah!"
"Today is supposed to be sunny and warm.  Hallelujah!"

We alternate saying Hallelujah and PTL (stands for Praise the Lord, which is what Hallelujah is translated to mean in our English Bibles).

Why is this word so important?  Why am I making a seemingly "big deal" out of this?

Let's break it down...

Obviously (I hope it's obvious), it is a Hebrew word.

Hallel ( הלל)  means to boast about, give glory to, give praise to.


YAH (YH or יה) is the shortened name of YHVH  (יהוה), the first two letters of His four-letter name!  


Remember, Hebrew is read from right to left.  Compare the first two letters of YHVH with the spelling of YaH.

So Hallelu YaH means praise (to) YaH.        הללו  יה
This is different than saying "praise the Lord" because "Lord" is just a title that has been used to replace the NAME of YHVH for centuries!

And do you notice that YaH is also the beginning of Yahshua's name (יהושע)?
This is because Yahshua (also Yeshua) means "YHVH is salvation."  Pretty important, I think, to keep the name of YaH where it belongs...in His Name!

This is why I use the Name above all names when I am referring to Yahshua, and the Name our Adonai said to use for Him, YHVH.

And do you know that the names of many people in the scriptures included the name of Yah?
We miss so much when we translate these important names into "anglicized" names!
Eliyahu (Elijah) means YHVH is El (God). 
Yesha'yahu (Isaiah)  means YHVH is salvation ...notice how close it is to Yahshua.
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah)  means YHVH will exalt.
Tz'Fanyah (Zephaniah)  means YHVH has hidden.
Z'Kharyah (Zechariah) means remembered by YHVH.
Yoshiyahu (Josiah) means YHVH will deliver.

These are only a few examples of the many names in the scriptures that incorporate the name of YHVH and part of His character.  Can you imagine if you knew the Hebrew names of these people, and every time you read that name in the scriptures you were reminded of the meaning, and therefore reminded of who YHVH is?!?


Do you see why I want to know and use the proper names of YHVH, and why HalleluYaH is such an important word to me?
Do you see why I don't want to use the spelling of Alleluia?  It has no meaning...it replaces the Name of Yah with "ia."   It is yet another tradition of man that has changed YHVH's Word (and Name) and therefore has lost part of the depth of understanding of who He is and how we are to live in relationship with Him!

Perhaps it still seems to you that I'm making a big deal out of a small thing.  I hope not.  I hope you can see my point.  I hope you can see the beginnings of a much deeper understanding of our YHVH and His Word with this one simple example.

I have said before in these blog posts, and I will say it again now...
the more I take YHVH's scripture at face value and the more I read it literally (and try to see the original language rather than the translated language), the more I understand that I have been embracing so many man-made traditions and understandings and beliefs that actually go against what YHVH says!

All I want is to know, love and obey Yah!


Gina


FYI...do you know about www.e-sword.net ?   You can download various translations of the Bible for free.  One of the free translations available is the Hebrew Old Testament (Tanach) with Strong's Numbers.  I use this frequently as a helpful way to get back to the original language, and it is always available for me on my laptop!

Celebrating Hanukkah... Celebrating Yahshua, Light of the World!

Shalom!


Tonight is the beginning of the 8-day Hanukkah celebration...the Festival of Lights or Feast of Dedication!

John 10:21-23... "Then came Hanukkah in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yahshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Solomon's Colonnade."


Although the beginnings of the Hanukkah celebration occurred in the years between the writing of the Old and New Testaments, and it is not a "commanded" feast of YHVH, Yahshua Himself observed this traditional celebration.


It has been a year since I began my blogs chronicling my journey of learning what YHVH says in His Word regarding His appointed times and living in relationship with Him.  I have not been able to write about each of the appointed times, but I did start this blog last year by writing about why I choose to celebrate Hanukkah and not celebrate Christmas.  So if you want to read more about that, look for that blog from December 2009.


Today I just want to point out that this is the beginning of Hanukkah and remind us of several important facts in this life with YHVH:


*YHVH has chosen to make His dwelling place with mankind....and His Temple is an integral part of that.  (see December 10, 2009 blog)


*YHVH has made a way possible for us to dwell in relationship with Him forever...YAHSHUA the Messiah.


*Yahshua is the LIGHT of the world - as is Israel...and we as believers are grafted into Israel - YHVH's chosen people.  (Isaiah 42, 49, 60; Exodus 19:6, Revelation 5:9-10, 20:6)


*The Menorah comes from YHVH's own blueprint...it is a symbol of His holiness and His sovereignty and His eternal presence as Adonai Elohim...our King forever.  It is the only symbol ever given to man that was explicitly and completely designed by YHVH.  
(Exodus 25:31-40; Exodus 37; Leviticus 24:1-4; Numbers 8:1-4; Zechariah 4; Hebrews 9; Revelation 1, 4, 21, 22)


Tonight I will light the first candle on my hanukkiah (lampstand with 9 candles...one servant candle and 8 candles to represent the 8 days).  And I will celebrate my Adonai, YHVH, and Yahshua the Messiah!


Holy, holy, holy is Adonai Elohim Ts'va'ot!  Who was and who is and who is to come!
(This is what is written in Hebrew on the above photo.)


May you also experience a time of YHVH's blessing and presence as you celebrate Him!


Gina

Yom Teruah...Sound of the Shofar!

      The Joy         
   of YHVH is       
 Your Strength!  

How many times have you quoted this phrase from the Word of YHVH...

         "the joy of the Lord is my strength."

I know it has been said to me many times...and I have said it many times.  It has been spoken to me as an admonishment to be joyful rather than down.  It has been spoken to me as an encouragement.  It has been spoken to me as a reminder.  It is part of many songs, many sermons, many gift cards.  It is printed on coffee cups, on wall hangings, on note paper, on tote bags, on T-shirts, on key chains, on tea towels, on Bible covers, on jewelry, on journals, on magnets, on bookmarks, on computer mouse pads....you can even order it printed on a flattened copper penny (for $10 + postage).

Do you know the context of this verse? 

Do you know what we have been missing out on by not printing THE WHOLE STORY? 

Can you tell me why Ezra and Nehemiah said this? 

(Did you know they were the ones who said it?) 

Do you know what was happening at the time this was spoken?

It is SO IMPORTANT to have the whole story...so important to know the Word of YHVH, the Torah of YHVH.  His life is in His Word...our relationship with Him must be founded upon His Word.  Otherwise we don't really know Him or have relationship with Him, and we are just fooling ourselves and practicing false religion.

Here's the whole story from Nehemiah chapter 8 (after many Israelite exiles had been allowed to return to Jerusalem and the land of Israel):

Nehemiah 8:1-12

When the seventh month arrived, after the people of Israel had resettled in their towns, all the people gathered with one accord in the open space in front of the Water Gate and asked Ezra the Torah-teacher to bring the scroll of the Torah of Moses, which YHVH had commanded Israel. 

Ezra the priest brought the Torah before the assembly, which consisted of men, women and all children old enough to understand. It was the first day of the seventh month.  

Facing the open space in front of the Water Gate, he read from it to the men, the women and the children who could understand from early morning until noon; and all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah....Ezra opened the scroll where all the people could see him...when he opened it, all the people rose to their feet.  Ezra blessed YHVH, the great God; and all the people answered, "Amen! Amen!" as they lifted up their hands, bowed their heads and fell prostrate before YHVH with their faces to the ground. 

The Levites... explained the Torah to the people, while the people remained in their places. 

They read clearly from the scroll, in the Torah of God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.

Nehemiah the Tirshata, Ezra the priest and Torah-teacher and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "Today is consecrated to YHVH your God; don't be mournful, don't weep."  For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah. 

Then he said to them, "Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can't provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord.

Don't be sad, because the joy of YHVH is your strength."....

Then the people went off to eat, drink, send portions and celebrate; because they had understood the words that had been proclaimed to them.

Do you see why it is so important to know the context of these words, this popular "Christian" phrase?  Do you see that this phrase is so wrapped in hearing, obeying, knowing the Torah of YHVH...the commandments, instructions, precepts of our God?

His people had forgotten...they had stopped hearing, obeying and knowing the Word of YHVH.

When they stood still and listened (for many hours) and heard and understood what the Torah, the Word of YHVH said, they cried!  They realized they had not been living as YHVH said

and they cried!

Ezra and Nehemiah and the Levites reminded them not to cry, but to find their strength in the joy of YHVH and to celebrate. 

Why? 

Because that very day was a day YHVH had set aside.  That is what they heard in the Torah reading that made them cry.   But after they mourned their sin, their loss of relationship with YHVH, then they celebrated.  They heard what YHVH said about that day, the first day of the seventh month, and they DID what YHVH told them to do on that set-aside day.

Now, don't you want to know what was so special about the first day of the seventh month? 

(I'm sure you have guessed  by now if you did not already know.)

Why don't we hear from YHVH's own Word what this day is all about.

(And by the way...today is the first day of the seventh month...as long as the new moon has been sighted within Israel.)

Leviticus 23 is the chapter that lists all of YHVH's appointed times in summation (including the weekly appointed time of keeping the Sabbath).  So let's go first to Leviticus 23.

Leviticus 23:1-4, 23-25

YHVH said to Moses,  "Tell the people of Israel: 'The designated times of YHVH which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times.  Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, a holy convocation; you are not to do any kind of work; it is a Shabbat for YHVH, even in your homes.  These are the designated times of YHVH, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times.'"....

YHVH said to Moses,"Tell the people of Israel, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar.  Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to YHVH."


Again in Numbers chapter 29, YHVH commands this set-apart day:

Numbers 29:1-6

"'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is a day of blowing the shofar for you.  Prepare a burnt offering to make a fragrant aroma for YHVH  [the next verses detail all that is to be offered to YHVH]... This is to be in addition to the burnt offering for Rosh-Hodesh (the New Moon offering)...this will be a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire to YHVH.'"

The Hebrew word that YHVH used in these verses is the word TERUAH, which means "loud clamor, shouting with an acclamation of joy or a battle cry, sounding the alarm by shofar or shout," etc.

In Leviticus, YHVH uses the words  Zikron Teruah (zikron means "memorial or mentioning").
In Numbers, He uses Yom Teruah (yom means "day").

So this is where we get the English name for this set-apart day...
Yom Teruah - Day of Trumpets or Day of Shofar (also known as the Feast of Trumpets).  If you look at the Leviticus wording, it is also known as the Shout of Memorial or the Shout of Mentioning.


You can see that YHVH does not give much instruction
for this set-apart day. 
He also does not tell us what the purpose of the day is...
why do we shout and blow the shofar? 
What is the meaning of doing these things?

 Do we need to know why YHVH tells us to do something
before we do it?  I hope the answer is NO! 
Of course, we want to obey, even when we don't know why He commands what He does.  But we can trust that His reasons and His purpose are right and true and bring glory to Himself and deeper relationship between Himself and His people. 
There is relationship and life in obedience!

But let's not stop here with these unanswered questions.  Let's look a little bit deeper.

Incidentally, before we go on, I want to mention that today is more popularly known as Rosh Hashanah, or the Head of the Year (New Year) by the majority of Jews in Israel and around the world.  I won't take time here to go into it, but I will say that YHVH does not say this day is the Rosh Hashanah.  YHVH says this day is Yom Teruah.  He states clearly in His Word that the new year begins in the first month, the month when Pesach or Passover occurs.

Sidenote...
(If you would like to see a Jewish explanation of why the Jewish people have taken YHVH's Word and turned it into another holiday on this day, see this website link from Karaite Korner. 
http://www.karaite-korner.org/yom_teruah.shtml

Karaites are Jews who do not agree with Rabbinical Judaism and want to get back to the truth of YHVH's Word...rather than following the traditions of men and religion.  They do not YET believe in Yeshua as the Messiah, but I know that the promise in YHVH's Word is that their hearts will be softened, their eyes will be opened, and they will know the COMPLETE truth of the Living Word of YHVH and the Messiah Yeshua!  This is my prayer, along with my prayer that the traditional adherents to Rabbinical Judaism will see the Word of YHVH for what it says, rather than through the lens of tradition and the interpretations and additions of men, and also come to know their Messiah Yeshua.  
 And, I might add here that I am also praying for the adherents of traditional Christianity to see the TRUTH of what YHVH's Word says and come back to following His Word alone rather than the traditions and misleading interpretations of men...that we might see the truth of who Yeshua is rather than the traditional picture we have been presented and continue to present.  I am one of those who has recently come to understand, like the Israelites in Nehemiah, that I have not really HEARD and OBEYED the Word of YHVH, but I have been following teachings that led me away from obeying the complete Word of my God!  I have cried about this...and now I am celebrating the TRUTH as YHVH is revealing it more and more to my willing eyes and heart.  It is so refreshing and so humbling and so exciting to know my God through His Word in ways I have never before!)

Okay, now back to the topic at hand...

Deeper diggings into this set-apart day, Yom Teruah...


According to Psalm 81:3, the shofar was blown to announce the beginning of every new month (the Rosh Chodesh).  So the commandment to blow the shofar on the first day of the seventh month would not be an unusual thing.  In fact, it would already be a usual thing to happen on the first day of the month.

So what makes this day special? 
Why would YHVH set this day aside as a commanded Appointed Time or Set-apart Day...Yom Teruah or the Day of Shofars?

This is where the rest of the Feast days or Set-apart Days from Leviticus 23 come in.  Yom Teruah is a VERY important day...it is the day of announcing something very important that is about to happen.
If you look at the Jewish calendar and at Leviticus 23, you will see that this day, Yom Teruah, is the beginning of the series of 3 Feasts that happen in the latter part of the year (the autumn season in Israel).  I will have other blog posts about these other feasts soon, but for now let's just remember that in 10 days, we will be observing the commanded Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.  And then on the 15th day of the 7th month the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Sukkot) will begin and will go for 7 days, with a final day of celebration wrapping it all up on the 8th day of the Feast.

Now, we know from the many occassions in YHVH's Word when shofars or trumpets are sounded that this can mean several things:
 it sounded the call to come together, to gather as one before YHVH;
it sounded the battle cry;
it sounded the alarm, the call to watch for something or someone coming;
it sounded the call to prepare for something about to happen;
it was used in praising YHVH and in shouting aloud to Him, sometimes while the burnt offering was being offered;
 it could signify victory
etc.

Put this all together with the fact that Yeshua is the Living Word, the Torah...He is the Alef and Tav (beginning and end), the Creator of all.  He is what the commandments of YHVH are all about.  He is what the Set-apart times are all about.  He has been and will continue to be the fulfillment of ALL parts of YHVH's Word, including these 3 Set-apart times beginning with Yom Teruah (together with the other Set-apart times)! 

Yom Teruah is the sounding of the shofar, the call to prepare, to alarm, to watch, to victory. 
The 10 days between now and Yom Kippur are known as the Days of Awe among Jews...days they use to prepare themselves for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. 
And then everything is followed up by and brought to completion in the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot.

So to understand Yom Teruah and the reasons for celebrating it, we must also understand what has already happened and what is coming.

Yom Teruah is the CALL, the SIGNAL of the beginning of the end! 
It is the beginning of the time that will lead us into the terrible Judgement Day, the Day of Wrath.  It is the beginning of the time when our KING Yeshua will reign in complete victory.  It is the beginning of the time when we will dwell with our YHVH forever in the dwelling place He has prepared! 

Why did YHVH command us to follow His Word, His Torah, His set-apart times forever, for all generations?  Because they will never end!!  From the beginning, they were meant to teach His people how to live in relationship with Him; they were meant to point us to the TRUTH of His character; they were meant to show us what eternity will be like. 

This is why I said at the beginning of this post that if we do not keep YHVH's Word, then we really are not in relationship with Him.  (Actually, HE said that....time and time again in His Word.)

Now is the time!
It is time to WAKE UP!
It is time to HEAR THE ALARM CALL!
It is time to repent, to come back to YHVH'S WORD in obedience!
It is time to look ahead, to look up in expectation, in awe, in reverence, in humility....



John 14:23, 24
Yeshua answered, "If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Someone who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words -- and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me.

Revelation 11:15
The seventh angel sounded his shofar; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever!"

Our King is coming to dwell
with His people forever!


If you are interested in reading a more in-depth study of this, I have found a website that has helped me.  It is published by a believer in Yeshua.  Of course, none of us will ever agree completely on every point of doctrine interpretation, so of course there are some minor things I am not sure about in this website, but on the major issues, this website has been one that I have appreciated:

http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/yom_teruah.pdf


There is so much more to study and know, even in just this one day that is commanded and yet not much else is said directly about it! 
Imagine when we see and know ALL the parts of YHVH's Word and how they come together in Yeshua!
 What a glorious time that will be, dwelling with Him forever, knowing Him and seeing Him in ALL of His glory!


Psalm 98

A psalm: Sing a new song to YHVH, because he has done wonders. His right hand, his holy arm have won him victory. 
YHVH has made known his victory; revealed his vindication in full view of the nations, remembered his grace and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.   
Shout for joy to YHVH, all the earth!
Break forth, sing for joy, sing praises!   
Sing praises to YHVH with the lyre, with the lyre
and melodious music!   
With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, shout for joy
before the king, YHVH! 
Let the sea roar, and everything in it; the world,
and those living in it.   
Let the floods clap their hands; let the mountains sing together
for joy before YHVH,
for he has come to judge the earth; he will judge the world rightly
and the peoples fairly.


Heeding the call of the shofar,

Gina

The Kingdom of God

Before I get into this blog post, I want to point out that I have chosen not to include a photo or graphic with this particular blog post.
I googled the phrase "kingdom of God," and the results did not surprise me.
A wide gamut of extremes in images comes up with an internet image search for "the KINGDOM of GOD."
I think the choice to have NO image represent this blog post is the perfect representation of exactly what this post is about.
Read more to find out why...


Want to be a New Testament Church?
Throw out the New Testament.

Does that sound like a harsh and heretical statement?
Perhaps if you read the rest of the blog, you will know more of what I mean by this statement. You might even think it makes sense.

One of the leaders of the Intercessors for Israel prayer group that I have been involved in for 3 years says, "If you want to be a New Testament church like the church in Acts, throw out the New Testament - they didn't have it either."

As much as this statement grates against mainstream Christianity, the deeper point it makes is really the truth.

The early believers in Yeshua were Hebrews. They did not have the B'rit Hadashah (New Testament). They knew and lived the Tanakh, the revealed Word of YHVH, the commands of the King of the Kingdom. Many of them lived during the events of the gospels. Many of them were recipients of the letters and the ministries of Paul and the other apostles. But their "Bible" was the Word of God - the Torah (Law or Books of Moses), the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, etc) - the Ta Na Kh (Tanach, or what Christians call the Old Testament). Their example was the Living Word - Yeshua the Messiah.

They knew that their King, YHVH, was going to send a Messiah for the salvation of all in the Kingdom. They recognized Yeshua as that Messiah...the true KING of Israel. He fit in perfectly as the fullfillment of all YHVH said in the Tanakh, His Word. Yeshua IS the Word. The early believers recognized this...they had read all about Yeshua throughout the Tanakh. They did not have to renounce another religion. They were not asked by Yeshua to give up their adherence to the Torah and Prophets. In fact, Yeshua also preached the Torah and Prophets - the Tanakh. He LIVED it! He wrote the Tanakh; he IS the Tanakh.


Fast-forward to today's "new testament church," who calls itself the "kingdom of God."

I think I'll begin with a story.

Recently, I was sitting around a table with a group of people ranging in age from early 20's to mid-50's. None of them knew me and most did not know each other. As the "get to know you" chit chat began, it became clear that one common factor among all of us was that each of us had past or present experience with a certain church from a well-known mainstream Christian denomination. I am not much of a chit-chat person; I prefer to listen. So I was not really an active participant in the conversation. I was working on something else, but I was listening to what was going on.

This group of people began to compare notes of their experiences with this particular church. The conversation went from the preferred type of music and songs in the worship services to who is a good singer and who is not. From there the conversation turned to what the church was like before "so-and-so" left and when "so-and-so" was there. Sunday school teachers were analyzed; church practices were judged; youth pastors were critiqued; worship service styles were discussed. And then the conversation turned to comparing this church with other area churches...none of which stood up to the group's scrutiny.

Finally, the conversation turned to the latest "Twilight" movie premier screening happening that very night. The conversation moved just as easily into discussion of which character was the favorite and how many times a certain Twilight book had been read in the last few weeks. (For those unfamiliar with this series called Twilight, it is based on a relationship between a vampire and a human.) Then the conversation turned to other recent movies, and then to other activities happening during the weekend.

Never ONCE did anyone talk about YHVH or Yeshua (or their "English" names). No one ever spoke of anything to do with the Kingdom of God, His Word, His relationship with those in His Kingdom.

At the end of the conversation, I was asked directly why I did not attend this particular church. Several people in the group showed surprise that I did not attend a church where so many other people I know go. This surprise turned to silence and a complete change of topic when I answered that I attend several Messianic congregations and that I'm involved in a prayer ministry for Israel.

I have attended many "New Testament" churches from many denominations during my lifetime (in at least 7 cities on 3 different continents) . Each speaks of the "Kingdom of God" and each has their own bit of a different spin on what exactly that means.

From my personal experience, I think it would be safe to say that the "kingdom of God" that Yeshua spoke of and that the church wants to be is something that has been confusing and elusive in much of the history of Christianity. I think this is because we have taken our focus off of the truth and foundation of YHVH's Word and instead we are guilty of making up our own rules and theological foundations, which we base on only a small part of YHVH's Word.

To be honest, I know I have spent much of my Christian life holding to and repeating the teachings that surrounded me. I only noticed that these teachings might be off track when I began to experience different and contradictory teachings from different churches and teachers/pastors. I have come to realize that the ONLY foundation I should stand upon is the Word of the KING, YHVH, whose Kingdom I want to belong to. I have also come to realize that many who say they are in the Kingdom of God don't actually stick to the laws of the Kingdom and don't teach the King's ways according to His own Word.

Now, before I continue into the real purpose of this blog post, let me clear up any doubt about what I believe about the New Testament (B'rit Hadashah). The statement I made at the beginning of this blog, "throw out the New Testament," should not be taken at face value only. I hope you can see that my point behind the statement (and the point of my friend in Intercessors for Israel) is that the New Testament CANNOT be taken alone as the basis for living in the Kingdom of God. It MUST stand on the foundation of the Tanakh. Of course the B'rit Hadashah is important! It completes the Word of YHVH...it tells the rest of the story! But to try to stand on the New Testament alone does NOT work because it is not a foundation. The Torah is the ETERNAL (everlasting, unending, for all generations to come) foundation for everything relating to the Kingdom of YHVH. If you throw out any part of YHVH's foundation, you have nothing left upon which to stand.

Yeshua, the Cornerstone of YHVH's foundation, warned us that many would think they were in the Kingdom based on their own definitions of "Kingdom of God," but they would find out that the King of the true Kingdom did not know them and they would not be allowed in.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'"

We are only fooling ourselves if we base our relationship with the King on a false definition of "Kingdom." We MUST live according to the laws and commands of the King in order to be counted in His Kingdom. This means that we MUST read the King's Word and live according to His Word. Yeshua stated very clearly in John 14:10 that He was united with the Father and the Father with Him and that His words were not His own initiative but that the Father living in Him was doing His own works. Yeshua continues by saying, "If you love me, you will keep my commands....Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him" (verses 15 & 21).
It is clear that if Yeshua is one with the Father and only speaks the Father's words, then He is talking about the Tanakh, as well as what He, as the Son of YHVH, revealed about the Tanakh in His teachings during His ministry.

If that is true, then it is also true that we cannot understand the Kingdom of God unless we understand that Israel was and is the Kingdom of God!

This brings me to the purpose of this blog post:

ISRAEL - YHVH's Chosen People.
ISRAEL - YHVH's Light to the nations.
ISRAEL - YHVH's Kingdom of priests for the nations.

Take a look at YHVH's own words on this very important topic:
(and don't just gloss over the Scriptures)

Genesis 12:1-3
"Now YHVH said to Avram, 'Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.'"

Already YHVH has promised Avram that the nation of His descendants will be a blessing to all the world (a light to the nations).


Exodus 19:5,6
[YHVH speaking to the Israelites in the desert just after the exodus from Egypt], "'Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you will be a kingdom of priests for me, a nation set apart.' These are the words you are to speak to the people of Isra'el."

What is the point of having a nation of priests who are to serve YHVH and serve the people if there are no other people to serve? A nation of priests is to serve the other nations...a LIGHT to the nations!


Isaiah 49:1-7
Coastlands, listen to me...YHVH called me from the womb; before I was born, he had spoken my name. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword while hiding me in the shadow of his hand; he has made me like a sharpened arrow while concealing me in his quiver. He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, through whom I will show my glory." But I said, "I have toiled in vain, spent my strength for nothing, futility." Yet my cause is with YHVH, my reward is with my God. So now YHVH says - he formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to have Israel gathered to him, so that I will be honored in the sight of YHVH, my God having become my strength - he has said, "It is not enough that you are merely my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the offspring of Israel. I will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth." Here is what YHVH, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, says to the one despised, whom the nations detest, to the servant of tyrants: "When kings see you, they will stand up; princes too will prostrate themselves, because of YHVH, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."


Isaiah 51:1-11
"Listen to me, you pursuers of justice, you who seek YHVH: consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug - consider Avraham your father and Sarah, who gave birth to you; in that I called him when he was only one person, then blessed him and made him many. For YHVH will comfort Zion, will comfort all her ruined places, will make her desert like Eden, her Aravah like the garden of YHVH. Joy and gladness will be there, thanksgiving and the sound of music. Pay attention to me, my people! My nation, listen to me! For Torah will go out from me; I will calm them with my justice as a light for the peoples. My righteousness is at hand, my salvation goes out, my arms will judge the peoples. The coastlands are putting their hope in me, trusting in my arm. Raise your eyes toward the skies, look at the earth below. The skies will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like clothing. Those living on it will die like flies; but my salvation will be forever, and my justice will never end. Listen to me, you who know justice, you people who have my Torah in your heart: don't be afraid of people's taunts, don't be upset by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like clothing, the worm will eat them like wool; but my justice will be forever, and my salvation for all generations. Awake! Awake! Arm of YHVH, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days of old, as in ancient generations!... Those ransomed by YHVH will return and come with singing to Zion; on their heads will be everlasting joy. They will acquire gladness and joy, while sorrow and sighing will flee..."


Isaiah 2:1-3
This is the word that Isaiah the son of Amotz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of YHVH's house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the nations will stream there. Many peoples will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of YHVH, to the house of the God of Jacob! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion will go forth Torah, the word of YHVH from Jerusalem.

(This is also found in Micah 4:1-2.)


Zechariah 8:20-23
"ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'In the future, peoples and inhabitants of many cities will come; the inhabitants of one city will travel to another and say, "We must go to ask YHVH's favor and consult ADONAI-Tzva'ot. I'll go too." Yes, many peoples and powerful nations will come to consult ADONAI-Tzva'ot in Jerusalem and to ask YHVH's favor.' ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'When that time comes, ten men will take hold - speaking all the languages of the nations - will grab hold of the cloak of a Jew and say, "We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you."'"


Luke 2:32
Simeon says that Yeshua is "a light that will bring revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel."



Acts 13:45-47
...but when the Jews who had not believed saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and spoke up against what Saul was saying and insulted him. However, Saul and Barnabas answered boldly: "It was necessary that God's word be spoken first to you. But since you are rejecting it and are judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life - why, we're turning to the Gentiles! For that is what YHVH has ordered us to do: 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, to be for deliverance to the ends of the earth.' "


This brings us to a major question: what about the church in all of this?
If the kingdom really is all about Israel, then how does the church fit in? What about those from the nations of the world who belive in and follow Yeshua?

Good question.
Hard question, if we don't understand who ISRAEL is.
Replacement Theory says that the church has become the "spiritual Israel," and that the Jewish people no longer hold a place in YHVH's plan (or in receiving the promises).

But if we understand the truth of Israel as YHVH's chosen people, then we understand that those Gentiles who choose to follow the KING and live in the Kingdom of YHVH are joined to the Kingdom, the community of YHVH's chosen nation. We Gentiles who follow Yeshua and all He taught (including YHVH's Torah) are grafted into the Kingdom of Israel.

If you really want to begin to dig into the depths of this simple but amazingly unfathomable truth, then study Romans 11. I have included some bits of Romans 11 here, but to really grasp the importance and the truth, of course, takes deeper study (of the entire Word of YHVH).

Romans 11
[1-2] "In that case, I say, isn't it that God has repudiated his people?" Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Israel, from the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin. God has not repudiated his people, whom he chose in advance.

[7, 11-12] What follows is that Isra'el has not attained the goal for which she is striving...."In that case, I say, isn't it that they have stumbled with the result that they have permanently fallen away?" Heaven forbid! Quite the contrary, it is by means of their stumbling that the deliverance has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world - that is, if Israel's being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter - how much greater riches will Israel in its fullness bring them!

[15-18] For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!...But if some of the branches were broken off, and you - a wild olive - were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.

[23-31] Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree! For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Israel, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; and that it is in this way that all Israel will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Zion will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins." With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs' sake, for God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Israel's disobedience; so also Israel has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God's mercy. For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.


Amazing Truth! What would my understanding of this be if not for the Torah, for the foundation of the Tanakh, for the Word of YHVH and the truth of His Kingdom!


Finally, let me leave you with this encouraging reminder...
Yeshua has made us - Israel and all who are grafted in by believing in Him - to be a Kingdom of priests... a Light to the nations!

Revelation 1:4-6
Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth's kings. To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood, who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, priests for God, his Father - to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever.
Amen.



In the Kingdom of Yeshua,

Gina

YHVH's TRUTH . . . Do We Really Want to Know?

Blessed is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose expectancy is in YHVH his Elohim, Maker of the heavens and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who is guarding truth forever... Psalm 146:5-6


Today I want to start off by taking you back to my teaching days.
I used to teach high school English. One of the common themes we studied in high school literature was the theme of "appearance versus reality," which is a common theme not only in classic literature but in all aspects of life (because it is true that art mimics life).


Today's blog topic was sparked by this past week's events in the Mediterranian Sea off the coast of Israel - the widely-publicized situation between the Israeli Defense Forces and the flotilla from Turkey trying to break through the blockade to Gaza.
I was sickened, but not surprised, to find that my own city's newspaper was reporting slanted "truth" about Israel regarding the events surrounding the flotilla of "aid" being shipped to Gaza.



What is truth? Isn't that the question Pilate asked when he had to pronounce a verdict upon Yeshua in John chapter 18?
Isn't that the question that we are all faced with...the question we are all confronted by...the question that will not go away?


Take a look at these three optical illusions.
The first two are illusory patterns using colors and shapes to trick our eyes and brains into thinking the shapes are actually in motion.
Are they in motion?
Look again.
In reality - in TRUTH - they are standing still.


The third one is a sidewalk-chalk art creation by the famous and talented artist of optical illusions - Julian Beever.
Is this really a photo of a rapid whitewater river flowing down the middle of an urban sidewalk?
I'm sure your brain knows the truth, but your eyes continue to try to convince your brain otherwise.

It looks so real, so convincing!


Who wants to know the truth?
Why even try to speak the truth and find the truth? It seems that people don't want to hear it. Too many times too many people are content to follow blindly the lies set before them, the appearances and perceptions of reality rather than looking deeper for the TRUTH.

And who is behind all of this? The Deceiver.
Yeshua said this of him in John 8:44...
"From the start [Satan] was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar -- indeed, the inventor of the lie!"

It happens every day...in relationships, between people, in business, between nations, in the media...we see and hear what appears to be true, and we believe it without REALLY looking for the truth.

If truth was not absolute, living life according to what appears to be real would be okay. If we could make truth into whatever we wanted it to be or whatever was convenient, then it wouldn't matter if what appears to be real is not really real. (Confused yet? This is how so many people live their lives!)

But, inconveniently for many, TRUTH is TRUTH.
TRUTH is absolute.
TRUTH does not change.
It cannot be morphed into something else.

What is the truth about what happened on the Turkish aid ship?
Will the world really look at the truth and admit it is the truth?
Will it make a difference?
The mainstream media has taken this story, twisted the facts, and fed the world a bunch of lies. And many in the world have believed the lies (including, sadly, many in the church who call themselves believers and say they know the Word of God).

Actually, the reactions of so many around the world toward Israel this past week are not surprising and are in keeping with God's Word of Truth. God said that all nations will eventually come against Israel... Truth that is being played out increasingly as history marches on. And in the end, Israel will still be exactly what YHVH has declared her to be: His chosen people and His chosen land of inheritance, the place He has chosen as the dwelling place for His Name. Nothing will be able to stop YHVH's Word of TRUTH.


Yes, this situation that Israel was thrust into this past week and the lies that have been thrown around are the spark that brought this blog post into being. If you have only been hearing what the media has been feeding you, and you really are interested in knowing the TRUTH about the situation, then I encourage you to look at some truth-based websites.
Here are a couple of places to start:
www.israeltoday.co.il
www.israelprayercenter.org



Now, I want to go further than this one recent situation. I want to seek what it means to know YHVH's TRUTH, because so many who say they have a relationship with YHVH are not actually living according to His TRUTH, but instead are living accoring to what other people call "God's truth" but is really man's idea of what God says. There is a vast difference!

So...what is Truth?
TRUTH is WHAT YHVH SAYS...HIS WORD!

Exodus 34:4-6
Moses cut two stone tablets like the first. Then he got up early in the morning and, with the two stone tablets in his hands, ascended Mount Sinai, as YHVH had ordered him to do. YHVH descended in the cloud, stood with him there and pronounced the name of YHVH. YHVH passed before him and proclaimed: "YUD-HEH-VAV-HEH!!! Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh is God, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth..."

Deuteronomy 32:3-4
For I proclaim the Name of YHVH, ascribe greatness to our Elohim. The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are right-ruling, a God of truth and without unrighteousness, Righteous and straight is He.

Psalm 25:10
All YHVH's paths are grace and truth to those who keep his covenant and instructions.

Psalm 33:4
For the word of YHVH is true, and all his work is trustworthy.

Psalm 43:3
Send out your light and your truth; let them be my guide; let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the places where you live.

Psalm 117:1-2
Praise YHVH, all you nations! Worship him, all you peoples! For his grace has overcome us, and YHVH's truth continues forever. Halleluyah!

Psalm 119:142
Your righteousness is eternal righteousness, and your Torah is truth.

Zechariah 8:3,7,8
YHVH says, 'I am returning to Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called Truth City, ADONAI-Tzva'ot's Mountain, the Mountain of the Holy One'.... ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'I will save my people from lands east and west; I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people; and I will be their God, with truth and righteousness.'

John 8:31-32
So Yeshua said to those disciples who believed Him, “If you stay in My Word, you are truly My taught ones, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 14:6
Yeshua said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 17:17-19
[Yeshua, to YHVH] “Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for them I set Myself apart, so that they too might be set apart in truth."


So, if TRUTH is YHVH's Word, and YHVH's Word is TRUTH, do you think He might have something serious to say about twisting His truth and basing our lives on lies instead of His TRUTH?

YES, He does!

There are so many places in His Word where He warns us about going against His TRUTH. I will just list a few references, and you can look them up yourself.

Isaiah 48
Isaiah 59
Jeremiah 7
Jeremiah 9
Romans 1:16-2:29
2 Thessalonians 2
2 Timothy
1 John


YHVH's Truth...He takes it seriously...we must live in His TRUTH alone. There is no other truth. There is no other reality. Anything else is a lie that only appears to be true. No matter the cost, no matter what it takes, I want to live my life knowing and speaking the TRUTH - YHVH my God through Yeshua His Living Word of Truth.


Seeking YHVH's TRUTH above everything else,

Gina

Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) - YHVH's Biblical Pentecost

(Update note:  since writing this particular post, I have studied the related Scriptures more.  See the blog post called YHVH's Word - Simply Truth for more on these Scriptures.)

Chag Sameach!
(Have a joyful feast!)

Today I am observing and celebrating Shavuot! This is the 50th day of the count of the omer. We have counted 7 weeks plus one day from the time of Passover, as commanded by YHVH, and today is that day!

I am not working today. I have baked some bread (well, actually biscuits) from some good old-fashioned homemade Oklahoma whole-wheat flour. I have acquired some grapes from the first crop of a farm further south. And I am reading the Word of YHVH. What a great day!

Do you remember that Passover (Pesach) is three celebrations at one time? Passover is immediately followed by HaBikkurim or Day of First Fruits, which begins the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is on the day of First Fruits (the celebration of the earliest crop - barley) that we are to begin the count of 7 weeks until Shavuot (also known as Pentecost, which simply means 50 days). In this way, Shavuot and the Passover appointed times are very much connected with each other.

Shavuot is the celebration of First Fruits of the spring harvest...including wheat, grapes, olives, etc.

Here is what YHVH has to say about Shavuot:

Leviticus 23:15-21

"From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to YHVH. You must bring bread from your homes for waving-two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven -as firstfruits for YHVH. Along with the bread, present seven lambs without defect one year old, one young bull and two rams; these will be a burnt offering for YHVH, with their grain and drink offerings, an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for YHVH. Offer one male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. The cohen (priest) will wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before YHVH, with the two lambs; these will be holy for YHVH for the cohen. On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live."


Deuteronomy 16:9-11

"You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain. You are to observe the festival of Shavu'ot [weeks] for YHVH your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which YHVH your God has prospered you. You are to rejoice in the presence of YHVH your God - you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the Levites living in your towns, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you - in the place where YHVH your God will choose to have his name live."

According to Exodus 23, YHVH wanted His people to come to Jerusalem (the place where He has chosen to have His name live) to celebrate the festivals of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, and the Festival of the Ingathering (the final harvest of the year).


Shavuot is also the day when observant Jews celebrate YHVH's giving of the Torah, His Word, His commands, His instructions. This date is not directly stated in the Word, but rather it is based on a rough calculation that comes from Exodus 19:1...
In the third month after the people of Isra'el had left the land of Egypt, the same day they came to the Sinai Desert.

This is roughly the same time frame as the 50-day count of the omer from the time of Passover, which was a commemoration of the exodus from Egypt.
The rest of the chapter tells of YHVH's time with Moses on Sinai and the giving of His Word, the Torah.


And of course, in Acts 2, the talmidim (disciples) of Yeshua were all together celebrating Shavuot in Jerusalem with the rest of the Jewish people, as commanded by YHVH, when the Holy Spirit was given to them. Thousands on that day had their eyes unveiled and saw the truth of who Yeshua is...they were a sort of First Fruit of the harvest.


If you want to read more in depth discussions of why believers in Yeshua should follow YHVH's Torah rather than Christian traditions of man, I will list some websites that go into much greater detail about Shavuot and the richness of this commanded Festival.

Bereans Online:
http://www.bereansonline.org/
Click on "ENews" and then click on "Shavuot" (in the left column labeled "Parashat")

Hebrew for Christians:
http://www.hebrew4christians.net/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/shavuot.html
(or go to www.hebrew4christians.net and click on "Holidays", then find Pentecost/Shavuot under "Spring Mo'edim")


I also want to point out that in Oklahoma, today is not a day most people will be celebrating. The irony is obvious. We have just had the worst outbreak of tornadoes in one time period in Oklahoma recent history. Just two days ago we had the worst hail storm in recent history. These storms have created mass destruction for many people, including area farmers. Some have lost their entire crops of wheat that were just getting ready for harvest. This is always a threat in Oklahoma...storms in spring are part of the territory. But this year seems to be more hard-hitting than the average year.

However, I know that today is YHVH's commanded day for rejoicing and bringing in celebration to Him the first fruits of the spring harvest. We must do this!
We must do as YHVH commands in His Word. We must take Him seriously. We must be serious about the relationships with Him we claim to have and want to have. We must come to Him on HIS terms - not on our terms, not on the terms of man-made tradition.
YHVH blesses obedience to His Word!
(I know some may say this is legalistic thinking, but actually it is YHVH's own Word...and that is what I trust.)

I am convinced for myself that now is the time to stop following traditions of man and to start living YHVH's Word the way He has said to. I, for one, am changing everything in my life that has not lined up with YHVH's Word.

And so today I celebrate His GIVING...giving of the harvest, giving of sustenance, giving of His Word, giving of His instructions, giving of His relationship, giving of His Salvation, giving of His Holy Spirit. He is writing His Word on our hearts of flesh!

In Yeshua, our Messiah

Gina

Counting the Days...

(Update note:  since writing this particular post, I have studied the related Scriptures more.  See the blog post called YHVH's Word - Simply Truth for more on these Scriptures.)

Shabbat Shalom!


Not only is today Shabbat (and I am so glad!), but it is also day 25 of the count of the Omer.

We are halfway between Pesach and the Day of First Fruits (when the counting begins) and Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks and Pentecost (when the counting ends).

What exactly is an "omer", and why do we count it?

An omer is a unit of measurement. It is basically a sheaf of grain. The omer, in this particular commandment, was the very first fruit of the earliest harvest (barley) that was brought to the priest and waved as an offering before YHVH. This is what YHVH commanded at the time of Pesach and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Directly after commanding the waving of the sheaf of first fruits, YHVH commanded that we count 7 weeks plus one day (50 days) and then have another feast celebration of harvest.

So we aren't really counting the omer (or the sheaf of grain). We are actually counting the DAYS between the first waving of the earliest first fruits (at Pesach) to the next commanded offering of the first fruits of all the crops (at Shavuot).


Let's look at it as commanded in YHVH's Word:


Leviticus 23:9-22
(We will start with what YHVH said about the day of First Fruits and go from there...)

YHVH said to Moses, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen [priest]. He is to wave the sheaf before YHVH, so that you will be accepted; the cohen is to wave it on the day after the Shabbat....

From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to YHVH....
The cohen will wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before YHVH, with the two lambs; these will be holy for YHVH for the cohen. On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.

When you harvest the ripe crops produced in your land, don't harvest all the way to the corners of your field, and don't gather the ears of grain left by the harvesters; leave them for the poor and the foreigner; I am YHVH your God.'"


Deuternomy 16:6-11

(We will start with what YHVH commands regarding Pesach and go from there:)

...at the place where YHVH your God will choose to have his name live - there is where you are to sacrifice the Pesach offering, in the evening, when the sun sets, at the time of year that you came out of Egypt. You are to roast it and eat it in the place YHVH your God will choose; in the morning you will return and go to your tents. For six days you are to eat matzah; on the seventh day there is to be a festive assembly for YHVH your God; do not do any kind of work. You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain. You are to observe the festival of Shavu'ot [weeks] for YHVH your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which YHVH your God has prospered you. You are to rejoice in the presence of YHVH your God.


It would appear that there is really nothing else to say about what YHVH has commanded. He told us to count the days (7 weeks plus the next day, which equals 50 days) until the harvest and then to have an appointed celebration, the Festival of Weeks or Pentecost (which means "50", as in "50 days").

So we count!


On a side note (but not really), as I was reading these verses and also reading the Torah portion for this week, I noticed something...

Did you notice verse 22 in Leviticus 23?
The verse about leaving part of your grain unharvested for the poor and the foreigner?

Well, interestingly enough, in this week's Torah portion (which is Leviticus 16:1-20:27), there is another reference to this command.


Leviticus 19:9-10 says "When you harvest the ripe crops produced in your land, don't harvest all the way to the corners of your field, and don't gather the ears of grain left by the harvesters. Likewise, don't gather the grapes left on the vine or fallen on the ground after harvest; leave them for the poor and the foreigner; I am YHVH your God."

Just as YHVH meets our every need and provides for us, we must also do for others. This thought is echoed by Yeshua in other places in the B'rit Hadashah (New Testament) reading for this week.

Also in this week's Torah portion, in Amos 9:7-15, YHVH uses the language of harvest, crop, and land to describe His future promises to His people Israel:

He promised that He would give the order and shake Israel among the Gentiles as one shakes a sieve, letting no grain fall to the ground.

Then He says "'When that day comes, I will raise up the fallen tent of David...sweet wine will drip from the mountains...I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel...they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, cultivate gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their own soil, no more to be uprooted from their land, which I gave them,' says YHVH your God."
This is happening now and will continue to unfold into the future!!

You know, I think we miss so much when we become distant from the land, from the day-to-day seasonal growing and harvesting, sowing and reaping. We miss so much when we don't work the land and see and live this important life-giving relational truth in a practical day-to-day way!

So, today as I celebrate my weekly rest of Shabbat, and as I continue to count the seven weeks until Shavuot, I also celebrate YHVH's work of growth and harvest in His people!
I celebrate His planting of His people Israel eternally in their dwelling place with Him!
I celebrate that YHVH is the giver of manna, daily bread!
I celebrate His grafting of me into His olive tree, His people, His kingdom!
I celebrate my Redeemer Yeshua, the Bread of Life, the First Fruits from the dead!
I celebrate that I am a branch connected to the Vine of Yeshua!

I celebrate that my YHVH is a God of the land, the harvest, the fruit. I am so glad that He does not just use symbolic language but instead uses LIFE, the life He has given us, as a way to know Him and live with Him. So as I count every day and live every day, I want to know His Word, His ways, His Truth, His purposes.

In Yeshua, our Bread of Life,

Gina