I have entitled today’s Message “Sticks and
Stones,” as I am going to be focusing on the idea of Idolatry.
Now, we all
know that Childhood saying, “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names
will never hurt me.”
This is to
say that the names uttered by foolish children, one to another, should be
viewed as just that, Childlike foolishness however, we know from experience
that it does hurt emotionally. What we
are called by our peers can affect our egos, and self-esteem. Therefore, regardless of the direct physical
attacks that sticks and stones my cause, how we are perceived by our peers does
have a psychological effect upon us as well.
What about
when we are adults, does it still hurt?
Perhaps we are more equipped with rebuttals like, “Consider the Source,”
or “You don’t know me,” or, “I’m made of rubber and you are made of glue…”
The point is
that name calling even when we are adults, can be just as painful. For some reason, our egos are easily offended
by another’s assessment of who we are, or how they perceive us. For some reason, we do not like it when
someone, who has no place to assign a name or value to us, does this.
The question
is, “How does this very act affect YHVH?”
In fact,
this is what the Hebrew word “Naqab”
means, “To appoint” or “Assign Value.”
This is the Hebrew Word for “Blasphemy.”
Therefore, when we name call, or speak of others in a manner that
assigns value to them, we are “Blaspheming” them. The LORD Commands us NOT to Blaspheme His Name. We are told not to assign value to His Name,
because we just have NO IDEA! Who are WE
to assign value to YHVH?
2 I am the LORD
thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
3 Thou shalt not
make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of anything that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth;
4 thou shalt not
bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate Me.
Exodus 20:2-4
Basically, what the LORD is teaching us within these
Commandments is not to give a Spiritual or Divine value to something that is
not, and more importantly, do not compare the things of this World to be on
equal plane with Him. He is above all.
Therefore to subject
ourselves to the Worship of Sticks and Stones, or any other thing under Heaven,
is foolishness, and is an insult to the one whom created all things.
In Today’s
Message, we are going to look a little deeper into Idolatry, rather than just
the surface understanding. We are going
to look at where the term came from, and why this Sin is so Destructive.
First of
all, an Idol is defined as:
Or
“An image of a deity other than God or the idol is viewed to be the deity
itself.”
This is the
academic depiction of what an idol is, but the act of Idolatry goes beyond the
recognition of something made by the hands of men to represent a god. The act of idolatry is more so the act of
giving “Spiritual” or “Divine” value to an Object of Nature, or some Image
formed by the hands of man.
This takes
us back to the actual definition of Blasphemy.
Blasphemy is assigning “Earthly” value to YHVH, as if we had enough
understanding or insight to accomplish this.
Therefore, YHVH tells us NOT to assign value to Him.
These
definitions of Blasphemy and Idolatry work in a relational context, but in
reciprocate. Meaning that, Blasphemy is
the act of attempting to bring YHVH down to our level, whereas Idolatry is proposing
to raise something up to His level. This
is not our place, and this is why these acts are extremely dangerous.
They
confuse the senses and deceive the heart, and the problem with deception, is
that the victim is unaware of it.
“Even the very elect would be deceived, if it were possible.”
What’s
interesting is that the concept of Idolatry does not originate in any other
language, other than Hebrew. How could
it? This Command was given to the Hebrew
People, through the Torah.
Other
Cultures would have simply considered The Act of Worshiping Idols as just that,
the simple act of Worship, without the consideration of it being offensive to
the YHVH Almighty. How would they know,
the Torah wasn’t given to them?
Therefore,
other languages adapted the concept into a word within their own language, but
without the influence of Torah upon their Culture, such a concept of “Idolatry”
would not have existed. It is because of
The Torah, that we understand this premise today within our own language.
We know
that Israel was affected by this practice of Idol Worship because, as we know
from the beginning of the Exodus, the first thing Israel did after leaving
Egypt was to commit this Sin.
By this, we
can tell that the Pagan influence of the Egyptians affected Israel. It wasn’t as if Israel did not know that this
was a sin, because we learn that this is wrong, long before the giving of
Torah.
Let’s look
back to Genesis 35
2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him: 'Put away
the strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your
garments;
3
and let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto
God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way
which I went.'
4
And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the
rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth which
was by Shechem. Genesis 35:2-4
Therefore, this
understanding of Idolatry, being wrong, was not something “New” to Israel. They knew better.
This begs the
question, “Then, why did they do it?”
It would appear
through their own Tradition, the fact that the Hebrew people did not worship
idols, would have been the very thing that defined them, as a distinct
people.
Therefore, even though
this understanding was a paradigm to the Israelites, Syncretism had its affect
upon this People.
Let me explain further:
Although the
Israelites viewed “Their God,” The God of their Fathers, as The Almighty God,
they didn’t really know Him, as their Fathers knew Him.
They knew that He was
the God above all gods, but what made THEM worthy, these slaves of Egypt, to be
called His Own, and to have direct relationship with Him? What made them worthy to be addressed and
blessed directly by ElAl – the God above all gods. This was something foreign to their minds,
because they had been so influenced by the dominion of Egypt. They saw themselves as “unworthy.”
Even when Moses led
them into the Wilderness, they viewed Moses as their Mediator. After all, Moses had sat in the Courts of
Pharaoh himself. Therefore perception
played a role. Moses, though a man like
them, sat amongst the gods and demi-gods of Egypt.
Here is the
Question; “Was Israel attributing this Image of the Golden Calf, to be the
Image of whom their God was, or did the Polytheistic nature of Egypt corrupt
the minds of the Israelites to believe that they could not be directly in
relationship with God, ergo they needed a demi-god to play as mediator between Israel
and YHVH?
Remember
the context: Moses was gone, and in
their minds, he was dead… Therefore,
since Moses was their Mediator, now who did they have?
The Egyptians had taught them well…
but Israel needed to T’shuva, and Return and Walk with the LORD as the Patriarchs
did. This Walk of Faith – This
Relationship style Worship was required to please Him.
Many years
ago, when I first began my Walk with the LORD, and I had publically proclaimed
my Faith in Yeshua, I began to ask myself Why?
Why is HE
the Messiah? I mean, I had just accepted
this by Faith, but is Faith a “Gut Feeling?”
Is Faith, just that, “I hope this is right,” or is Faith seeing the
evidence, without seeing the evidence?
“Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Some would
have you believe that Faith is just Trust without Reason – Accepting a Notion
without something tangible or any concrete evidence.
I say that
Faith is Trust with Reason. Meaning
that, although I may not be able touch it, like a stick or a stone, doesn’t
mean that the evidence is not there. You
just have to look for it, and by Faith, He WILL lead you to the answers that
you seek. He gives us that Promise in
Matthew 7:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For
everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks,
the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
If there
was no Reason, then there would be no Faith, because Faith is Believing that
which you have been told is true, but if you do not truly understand what you
have been told, then how can it be True, or how can it even be Faith? Gullible and Faith are not the same things; I
looked it up, and in case some of you were told this, “Gullible” IS, in fact,
in the dictionary. I encourage you to
look it up.
There has
to be “some” Reason, for Faith to actually apply. Therefore “Simple Faith” is based on “Simple
Evidence.” This means that your Faith is
relative to your relationship to the source of your Faith. As you grow in maturity, your Faith is
continually challenged to see if you are still in the Faith, or just going through
the Motions.
This is why
we call it “A Walk.” We walk in Faith,
Trusting that at each test, we will learn more of Him, all the while, we are
not Saved by Our Knowledge of Him, but rather in the fact that He has Saved us
– Period – Now comes the getting to know Him part, and HOW He has done all
this. This is secondary, but not
exempt. As we grow in knowledge, it is
still Faith and His applied Grace, that carries us unto completion. Amen?
We don’t
need Idols. We don’t need Rocks. We don’t need Sticks and Stones. Our evidence, our tangible relationship is
proven over and over each day, as we walk with Him, and He continually reveals
Himself to us.
Therefore
our works along the way is not “Works Righteousness,” but rather the Exercise
of our Faith, leading us to a greater knowledge of Him. Our Works have nothing to do with our
Salvation, all the while, if we were not working out our Faith through works,
our Faith would be Dead, or not Faith at all.
“Faith
without works is dead.” James 2:17
This is why
living a Torah Life is not “Works Righteousness,” but rather Emunah: “Faith in
Action.” In the process of this Walk, we
are acknowledging the Author of Our Faith – The same Author of the Torah. This is His Word, and so we do it to honour
Him. This has nothing to do with being
made Righteous through Works.
20 Therefore by the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law
is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law
and the prophets;
22 Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Yeshua HaMashiach unto all and upon
all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Yeshua HaMashiach: Romans 3:20-24
Does this mean that now that we are Saved, the Law is Dead?
No - - It means that now that you are saved, go and learn The Law, and
Live it Righteously, opposed to thinking that it, in and of itself, can save
you. We know that it cannot, and that
the Mitzvoth alone, will not please Him, but neither will the rejection of His
Word, which is a life of Sin, outside the Law.
A walk outside the Law is what sin is.
The Law defines Sin.
The Law is the Physical Aspect of the Spiritual Nature. Which is to say that, the Manifestations of
The Workings of The Law is the Physical properties of the Spiritual Realm. Just like the Tabernacle was the Physical
Manifestation of a Spiritual Concept, these are symbolic connections, but not
idols.
It is important to understand the difference between a Symbol and an
Idol. A Symbol, or “A Sign,” is a
physical manifestation that directs us towards a Spiritual Goal. The difference is that the Worshipper, in the
Spirit, knows that the Goal is still the Goal, and that The Sign, is just The
Sign. The Sign is not the Goal, and the
Sign has no “Divine” or “Spiritual” value, in and of itself.
This is why Yeshua said,
“God is
spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
Now, to
recap:
Idolatry is
the Act of placing Divine or Spiritual value on something that is simply an
Earthly Manifestation of a Spiritual Concept.
This is why we question the paradox:
If YHVH told
us, “Thou shalt not make thee a graven image,” then why does He Command Moses
to form the Images of the Cherubs on the Cover of the Mercy Seat, as well as,
the Brass Serpent to be held up on the Staff for healing?The point is
that we must understand WHAT idolatry is.
The answer
is right in front of us:
“thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them;” The point is that Exodus 20:2-4 are to be
read as one thought, and not 3 different concepts being linked together.
It is once we assign Divine or
Spiritual value to a graven image, that it becomes an Idol.
The lesson is that we need to get our heads out of the Heebee Jeebees,
and the Hocus Pocus, and just Trust Him.
I’m not saying that we do not need to be mindful of the workings of the
Enemy, but what I am saying that God is able to deliver us, even when we walk
through the Valley of Death. This is why
Rav Sha’ul says:
“Nevertheless
I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Timothy
1:12
Therefore, in the Spirit of accepting my Salvation by Faith, and
Trusting in Him, I began to walk with Him, on a personal journey, which would
be My Life.
Ironically, My studies not only began in The Word of God, but in the learning
of other Religions. To find The Lost,
you have to go to them. In order to
reach them, you need to understand them, so that you can lead them back to the
Truth of God’s Word, but if you are unable to understand the beginning of how
thy see Him, then how can you correct them, leading them back to the path of
Righteousness. Reluctantly, I followed
Him.
You see, the Traditional Path of Christianity, was Salvation through the
Church. The Church itself, became the
Anti-Christ. In the process of Preaching
the Gospel, we became more focused upon the doctrine, than who was doing the
Saving.
Therefore, we were preaching Christianity, and the doctrine that came
with it, rather than The Word of God, because the truth of it was hidden by the
Theology.
Trading
Idols for Idols.
So, I took
His hand, and began this journey. I’m
not saying that I acquired a PHD in Religion, but I began to learn the basics
of different belief systems, just to get the premise of what it was that the
Goyim believed, and why?
How could I
teach anyone about Messiah unless I understood the premise of their own
beliefs? The very Scriptures told me:
22 Jews demand signs
and Greeks look for wisdom,
23 but we preach Messiah
crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and
Greeks, Messiah the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the
foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is
stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
I needed to know why it was a
stumbling block to my people, and why did the Greeks consider this
“foolishness.”
The answer was quickly discovered as
He revealed it to me; My People, so caught up in “Works Righteousness,” or “The
Merit of Mitzvah,” they could not see the value in God’s Redemptive Work
through Yeshua. Our theology got in the
way, and though we stumbled, we just got up and kept going, ignoring the
event.
To the Greeks, who sought Wisdom –
The Wisdom of this World - had no idea about “God’s Ways,” and therefore the
need for a Messiah to Save them – was foolishness.
What do I need to be saved from?
It wasn’t until they acknowledged
their guilt of failing God, and the need for His Redemptive Work, that the
Greeks began to come into Salvation.
Perhaps this is the same means of which My People will eventually come
to Revelation as well.
We don’t have a Temple. We are Trusting in the thoughts of Men. We are leaning upon the Wisdom of the Rabbis,
when the very Word of God tells us to NOT lean upon our own understanding. If the Torah says, thus, then THUS!
Unless, He has provided another way –
Which the Torah itself says, “Follow Him, in Whom Moses told us would come.”
45 “But do not think I
will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes
are set.
46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he
wrote about me.
47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how
are you going to believe what I say?” John 5:45-47
Idols for Idols…
22 But Yeshua told him,
“Follow
me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Matthew 8:22
I once had a similar experience to Peter, when The LORD let down the sheet filled with non-kosher food for him, and said, “Take and Eat.”
However, in my experience, it was “The many paths to god.” (That’s a lower case “g.”) The LORD wanted me to look at where the Lost were walking, and I said, “No - Not so LORD.” I didn’t want to deviate from the Path.
The LORD encouraged me to Trust Him, and that He was in control of our Walk. This is why I was fascinated when I discovered the Hebrew word for “Thus,” which is “Ko. ” It literally means, “Although it be Dark, I will show you the way.” Even in the Hebrew Word Picture, the letter Kof depicts a hand saying, “Come, and follow me.” This was my experience.
It appears that The LORD wanted me to see the Path of the Lost so that I would recognise it within our own walk – The Walk of the Church.
We had just become as Idolatress as the so-called Pagans that we were trying to save.
No wonder they were not coming, and for those that were, they were only trading up their Theology for another – Idols for Idols.
Oh – The Enemy is Crafty.
We had become so arrogant in our “Salvation,” that we had lost track of the position of Our Own Faith. We were simply selling the trappings of another Religion, rather than truly teaching them about, The Real Yeshua, the one from Scripture -- HE whom came to save us. The Message of Salvation became a Theological Product.
We were flogging “Easy Salvation,” based on extractions of Paul’s writings, like so many products today, which do the same thing as the one you already have, ONLY wrapped in a different package.
Idols for Idols.
You don’t have to do anything… Just BELIEVE! We need to look at what Paul was really teaching, and not allow the Theology of 1700 Years determine our Eternal Destiny.
Just as much as we must be united with Yeshua HaMashiach, as He is with The Father, so must the Writings of the Brit Hadasha be united with the Torah and the Tanakh. Make Straight The Way of YHVH.
And so I followed The LORD down this Path, looking at the ways of the Lost, discovering that we were not so different, but His Sheep of a different flock, were mixed within the masses.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
This means that among the Gentiles, there were many who would hear His Voice, and follow Him. There were many that began to follow, but soon after, we began to hear the voice of a different Sheppard, whose words did not sound like the original voice that lead us into His Salvation. We began to ask why? Who is this imposter Sheppard?
We approached our Leaders and asked:
“The Scriptures say this, but you say that… Why?”
All we received was Theology, and not the Answers, and therefore we turned to the Scriptures, not Theology, to find our way, and within His Word we found His Voice, and so we followed.
My studies led me to understand that even within the Pagan realms, Idol worship was only a stepping stone of “True Enlightenment.” In fact, the Gurus look at Idol Worship as Spiritual Adolescence. Within their views, once you have truly reached levels of Spiritual Consciousness, you no longer need the idols, you Transcend the things of this World.
Sound familiar?
The point is that, what it all boils down to, is man’s unrelenting connection with this realm of the Flesh. The Idol is something that we need to hang onto that gives us a connection to the Spiritual Realm, but somehow maintains our position within this World.
Truth be known, when the Gospel is manipulated into a product that allows us to ride that line between “Spiritual Enlightenment,” and “The Flesh,” the Gospel itself has become an Idol of Worship.
Luke writes within the Book of Acts:
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:29-31
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?
6 He is not here; he has risen! Luke 24:5-6
Why do we need to hang onto the tangible things of this world, in order to experience the greater things of Haba Olam, The World to Come?
There is a reason that Yeshua came to die. He had to set the example. He had to demonstrate that the Carnal and the Spirit were at such odds, that they would even Kill the very one that came to save them, just to hold on to the things of this World. This is what is meant by “… but to those whom God has called,” we are the ones, that when looking upon what we did to Our LORD, are pricked in our hearts to repent of this, and seek forgiveness, and restoration unto Him.
This is why Paul Writes in Romans 8:
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, they do not belong to Messiah.
10 But if Messiah is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Yeshua from the dead is living in you, he who raised Messiah from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:3-11
The Mind must be Governed by the Spirit.
I think the old saying is, "An idle mind is the Devil's playground,” or could it be that “The Devil’s mind is an Idol’s playground?” It is believed that this thought, though not itself Scripture, is derived from Philippians 4:8.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Perhaps this is why Rav Sha’ul taught us previously in Chapter 2 of Philippians,
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Yeshua HaMashiach:” Philippians 2:5
The “Mind” is not simply the “Brain,” performing calculations of Logic and Syntax, it is a Network of Multiple processes attempting to coordinate itself for an ultimate purpose.
The “Mind” is this coordinated function. It is made up of the various stimuli that provoke us to carry out our tasks, which inevitably determines our contribution to This Life, and the Lifetime that our existence affects – Our Mitzvah and Our Halacha – Our Walk.
The Mind, is the Physical Manifestation of the Flesh, and the Heart, struggling for dominance. This is why Yeshua says:
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 24:41
This is why we must not be “Double Minded,” because this inhibits our ability to complete the primary purpose. If we are double minded, then objectives are never reached, or at
least it takes a long time to achieve any given goal.In fact James addresses this very thing:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:2-8
When “The Mind” is in Unity (Echad) with all its functioning attributes, this Single Minded nature is that which completes the purpose. When the Spirit is the driving force of your being, the Flesh, the heart, and the mind become one, for a single purpose – To serve Him, and Worship Him, in Spirit and in Truth.
This is that same Unity of YHVH that completed His Covenant Promise, and in doing so, Yeshua HaMashiach proclaimed those Historical Words, “It is Finished!” John 19:39
Therefore, it was the single mind of Yeshua, focused and unified upon that Goal, that made the Covenant Complete. We should do likewise.
Now, as I conclude today, I wanted to draw your attention to an interesting discovery that I had made in my studies last week, regarding the difference between signs and symbols, and Idolatry.
As I have already summarized, we discovered that Blasphemy and Idolatry are related by either attempting to bring God down to our level, or raising something up to His. Also, I had proposed that Symbolism is simply a Physical Manifestation of a Spiritual Concept, whereas Idolatry is assigning Divine or Spiritual value to an Earthly Concept.
We know that God uses Symbols and Signs to help us understand Spiritual things, and therefore these Symbols and Signs are not meant to be turned into Idolatress focus points, all the while, they have been. Therefore, we must check ourselves so that we do not fall subject to Idolatry, and give undue power to idols.
Which is also to say that just because a symbol has a purpose in directing us towards a Spiritual point, does not mean that we cannot turn it into an Idol, as we have.
Simply put, let’s not turn the things of God into Idols. Although we show respect to the Torah Scroll, as it is a representation of God’s Word given to Israel, let us be careful not to give undue value to the physical attributes of it. It is the Word of God. To the Magen David, or the Flag of Israel, this too we should show respect, but should not assign undue spiritual value. Even to the Cross, we must be careful to remember that it is a sign to lead us to Messiah, but THAT is its Purpose. He is no longer nailed to it, He has risen!
Therefore, if we are tested and taunted by the People of the Flesh, mocking or even desecrating our Religious Symbols, let us remember that these are just symbols. The LORD would never allow His Holy things to be touched.
As Yeshua said,
“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18:36
I few weeks ago, I had mentioned the Rabbinical Midrash on the Hebrew Word “ET,” during a Drash. I had explained that the Word has no translation into English, but that it does have a prepositional value. This Word “ET,” or in Hebrew (Aleph/Tav) is simply a preposition that indicates the direct object within the context of the sentence.
I had also associated the fact that the letters to spell, “ET,” are Aleph – Tav, which are the first and the last letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. Now, we all know that Yeshua referred to Himself as “The Alpha and Omega,” which we know is Greek, but if He was speaking Hebrew, as we know that He did, He would have actually said, “I am the Aleph and the Tav.”
Therefore, in spite of the fact that this is speculative, I wanted to point out that the Rabbis, in Midrashic debate, found ironic value in this word as well. They were looking at how the Torah used this preposition to assign value to the various situations, regarding the complaints for the need for water.
This is from Numbers 20. When the Congregation addressed Moses regarding the need for water, they included their animal’s need along with theirs. The sentence structure gives way to two direct object’s needs -- The People and the Animals. However, when YHVH addresses the issue, the Torah only places the ET before the people and not the animals, and the Rabbis recognise this as God giving special blessing to Israel. Then, finally, when the issue was addressed after the event, and the LORD was angry, the ET did not appear before the People or the Animals.
Therefore, this was indicative of a Spiritual use of this prepositional concept. The word may be used prepositionally, but it does hold some other spiritual purpose.
There must be a connection, why else would Yeshua use this term to describe Himself, all the while there is a word within the language that appears to establish some deeper purpose, which consists of these 2 letters.
What’s more, is that if a Mem is placed in the middle of the Aleph Tav, the word becomes “EMT” or “Truth.” Now, this is where I found it interesting as I was studying symbolism within Judaism, I came across the Hebrew Word for “Sign.”
Can you guess what it is?
“Aleph Vav Tav” or “OT.” This “Ot” is the word for “Sign.” Now, this may not appear that profound a discovery on the surface, but once you have a little more understanding of Hebrew Word Pictures, and know that the letter “Vav” is meant to conceptually “Connect” or like a Nail, “Hold” the concepts together, you see the significance. “The Sign,” is what connects the Beginning to the End.
A Sign or an “Ot” is to teach us that He is the Aleph Tav, the Beginning and the End, but more so that The Sign means: “The Leader is nailed to the Tav, or the Cross.” In other words, “The Sign,” is The Gospel.
The point is that although this points towards the Messiah, it is still just The Sign. Now, we are to follow what the Sign instructs us to do, just like the Magi followed the Star that Balaam had professied about in this Week’s Parasha.
17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth.
The Rabbis attribute this Prophesy to the Messiah, and we as Messianic Believers know that it was a star that lead the Magi to the Birth Place of Yeshua. The Sign, showed them where to go, but the Star was not to be made into an Idol to be worshipped.
Haverim, the Lord desires for us to understand, and though His Masterpiece, this Universe, is so complex within His design, He has given us Signs and Symbols to begin to understand what it is that He has done. The problem with Mankind is that we take these Signs and Symbols and turn them into idols of worship.
We must let go of this World, and look towards Haba Olam, the World to come. In the meantime, He has commanded us to proclaim His Word, and to be a light to the Nations. We are to give truthful answers regarding His Will, opposed to Theologies and Traditions handed down to us.
Let us now pray and ask for His Guidance on this matter:
I once had a similar experience to Peter, when The LORD let down the sheet filled with non-kosher food for him, and said, “Take and Eat.”
However, in my experience, it was “The many paths to god.” (That’s a lower case “g.”) The LORD wanted me to look at where the Lost were walking, and I said, “No - Not so LORD.” I didn’t want to deviate from the Path.
The LORD encouraged me to Trust Him, and that He was in control of our Walk. This is why I was fascinated when I discovered the Hebrew word for “Thus,” which is “Ko. ” It literally means, “Although it be Dark, I will show you the way.” Even in the Hebrew Word Picture, the letter Kof depicts a hand saying, “Come, and follow me.” This was my experience.
It appears that The LORD wanted me to see the Path of the Lost so that I would recognise it within our own walk – The Walk of the Church.
We had just become as Idolatress as the so-called Pagans that we were trying to save.
No wonder they were not coming, and for those that were, they were only trading up their Theology for another – Idols for Idols.
Oh – The Enemy is Crafty.
We had become so arrogant in our “Salvation,” that we had lost track of the position of Our Own Faith. We were simply selling the trappings of another Religion, rather than truly teaching them about, The Real Yeshua, the one from Scripture -- HE whom came to save us. The Message of Salvation became a Theological Product.
We were flogging “Easy Salvation,” based on extractions of Paul’s writings, like so many products today, which do the same thing as the one you already have, ONLY wrapped in a different package.
Idols for Idols.
You don’t have to do anything… Just BELIEVE! We need to look at what Paul was really teaching, and not allow the Theology of 1700 Years determine our Eternal Destiny.
Just as much as we must be united with Yeshua HaMashiach, as He is with The Father, so must the Writings of the Brit Hadasha be united with the Torah and the Tanakh. Make Straight The Way of YHVH.
And so I followed The LORD down this Path, looking at the ways of the Lost, discovering that we were not so different, but His Sheep of a different flock, were mixed within the masses.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
This means that among the Gentiles, there were many who would hear His Voice, and follow Him. There were many that began to follow, but soon after, we began to hear the voice of a different Sheppard, whose words did not sound like the original voice that lead us into His Salvation. We began to ask why? Who is this imposter Sheppard?
We approached our Leaders and asked:
“The Scriptures say this, but you say that… Why?”
All we received was Theology, and not the Answers, and therefore we turned to the Scriptures, not Theology, to find our way, and within His Word we found His Voice, and so we followed.
My studies led me to understand that even within the Pagan realms, Idol worship was only a stepping stone of “True Enlightenment.” In fact, the Gurus look at Idol Worship as Spiritual Adolescence. Within their views, once you have truly reached levels of Spiritual Consciousness, you no longer need the idols, you Transcend the things of this World.
Sound familiar?
The point is that, what it all boils down to, is man’s unrelenting connection with this realm of the Flesh. The Idol is something that we need to hang onto that gives us a connection to the Spiritual Realm, but somehow maintains our position within this World.
Truth be known, when the Gospel is manipulated into a product that allows us to ride that line between “Spiritual Enlightenment,” and “The Flesh,” the Gospel itself has become an Idol of Worship.
Luke writes within the Book of Acts:
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:29-31
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?
6 He is not here; he has risen! Luke 24:5-6
Why do we need to hang onto the tangible things of this world, in order to experience the greater things of Haba Olam, The World to Come?
There is a reason that Yeshua came to die. He had to set the example. He had to demonstrate that the Carnal and the Spirit were at such odds, that they would even Kill the very one that came to save them, just to hold on to the things of this World. This is what is meant by “… but to those whom God has called,” we are the ones, that when looking upon what we did to Our LORD, are pricked in our hearts to repent of this, and seek forgiveness, and restoration unto Him.
This is why Paul Writes in Romans 8:
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, they do not belong to Messiah.
10 But if Messiah is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Yeshua from the dead is living in you, he who raised Messiah from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:3-11
The Mind must be Governed by the Spirit.
I think the old saying is, "An idle mind is the Devil's playground,” or could it be that “The Devil’s mind is an Idol’s playground?” It is believed that this thought, though not itself Scripture, is derived from Philippians 4:8.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Perhaps this is why Rav Sha’ul taught us previously in Chapter 2 of Philippians,
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Yeshua HaMashiach:” Philippians 2:5
The “Mind” is not simply the “Brain,” performing calculations of Logic and Syntax, it is a Network of Multiple processes attempting to coordinate itself for an ultimate purpose.
The “Mind” is this coordinated function. It is made up of the various stimuli that provoke us to carry out our tasks, which inevitably determines our contribution to This Life, and the Lifetime that our existence affects – Our Mitzvah and Our Halacha – Our Walk.
The Mind, is the Physical Manifestation of the Flesh, and the Heart, struggling for dominance. This is why Yeshua says:
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 24:41
This is why we must not be “Double Minded,” because this inhibits our ability to complete the primary purpose. If we are double minded, then objectives are never reached, or at
least it takes a long time to achieve any given goal.In fact James addresses this very thing:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:2-8
When “The Mind” is in Unity (Echad) with all its functioning attributes, this Single Minded nature is that which completes the purpose. When the Spirit is the driving force of your being, the Flesh, the heart, and the mind become one, for a single purpose – To serve Him, and Worship Him, in Spirit and in Truth.
This is that same Unity of YHVH that completed His Covenant Promise, and in doing so, Yeshua HaMashiach proclaimed those Historical Words, “It is Finished!” John 19:39
Therefore, it was the single mind of Yeshua, focused and unified upon that Goal, that made the Covenant Complete. We should do likewise.
Now, as I conclude today, I wanted to draw your attention to an interesting discovery that I had made in my studies last week, regarding the difference between signs and symbols, and Idolatry.
As I have already summarized, we discovered that Blasphemy and Idolatry are related by either attempting to bring God down to our level, or raising something up to His. Also, I had proposed that Symbolism is simply a Physical Manifestation of a Spiritual Concept, whereas Idolatry is assigning Divine or Spiritual value to an Earthly Concept.
We know that God uses Symbols and Signs to help us understand Spiritual things, and therefore these Symbols and Signs are not meant to be turned into Idolatress focus points, all the while, they have been. Therefore, we must check ourselves so that we do not fall subject to Idolatry, and give undue power to idols.
Which is also to say that just because a symbol has a purpose in directing us towards a Spiritual point, does not mean that we cannot turn it into an Idol, as we have.
Simply put, let’s not turn the things of God into Idols. Although we show respect to the Torah Scroll, as it is a representation of God’s Word given to Israel, let us be careful not to give undue value to the physical attributes of it. It is the Word of God. To the Magen David, or the Flag of Israel, this too we should show respect, but should not assign undue spiritual value. Even to the Cross, we must be careful to remember that it is a sign to lead us to Messiah, but THAT is its Purpose. He is no longer nailed to it, He has risen!
Therefore, if we are tested and taunted by the People of the Flesh, mocking or even desecrating our Religious Symbols, let us remember that these are just symbols. The LORD would never allow His Holy things to be touched.
As Yeshua said,
“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18:36
I few weeks ago, I had mentioned the Rabbinical Midrash on the Hebrew Word “ET,” during a Drash. I had explained that the Word has no translation into English, but that it does have a prepositional value. This Word “ET,” or in Hebrew (Aleph/Tav) is simply a preposition that indicates the direct object within the context of the sentence.
I had also associated the fact that the letters to spell, “ET,” are Aleph – Tav, which are the first and the last letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. Now, we all know that Yeshua referred to Himself as “The Alpha and Omega,” which we know is Greek, but if He was speaking Hebrew, as we know that He did, He would have actually said, “I am the Aleph and the Tav.”
Therefore, in spite of the fact that this is speculative, I wanted to point out that the Rabbis, in Midrashic debate, found ironic value in this word as well. They were looking at how the Torah used this preposition to assign value to the various situations, regarding the complaints for the need for water.
This is from Numbers 20. When the Congregation addressed Moses regarding the need for water, they included their animal’s need along with theirs. The sentence structure gives way to two direct object’s needs -- The People and the Animals. However, when YHVH addresses the issue, the Torah only places the ET before the people and not the animals, and the Rabbis recognise this as God giving special blessing to Israel. Then, finally, when the issue was addressed after the event, and the LORD was angry, the ET did not appear before the People or the Animals.
Therefore, this was indicative of a Spiritual use of this prepositional concept. The word may be used prepositionally, but it does hold some other spiritual purpose.
There must be a connection, why else would Yeshua use this term to describe Himself, all the while there is a word within the language that appears to establish some deeper purpose, which consists of these 2 letters.
What’s more, is that if a Mem is placed in the middle of the Aleph Tav, the word becomes “EMT” or “Truth.” Now, this is where I found it interesting as I was studying symbolism within Judaism, I came across the Hebrew Word for “Sign.”
Can you guess what it is?
“Aleph Vav Tav” or “OT.” This “Ot” is the word for “Sign.” Now, this may not appear that profound a discovery on the surface, but once you have a little more understanding of Hebrew Word Pictures, and know that the letter “Vav” is meant to conceptually “Connect” or like a Nail, “Hold” the concepts together, you see the significance. “The Sign,” is what connects the Beginning to the End.
A Sign or an “Ot” is to teach us that He is the Aleph Tav, the Beginning and the End, but more so that The Sign means: “The Leader is nailed to the Tav, or the Cross.” In other words, “The Sign,” is The Gospel.
The point is that although this points towards the Messiah, it is still just The Sign. Now, we are to follow what the Sign instructs us to do, just like the Magi followed the Star that Balaam had professied about in this Week’s Parasha.
17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth.
The Rabbis attribute this Prophesy to the Messiah, and we as Messianic Believers know that it was a star that lead the Magi to the Birth Place of Yeshua. The Sign, showed them where to go, but the Star was not to be made into an Idol to be worshipped.
Haverim, the Lord desires for us to understand, and though His Masterpiece, this Universe, is so complex within His design, He has given us Signs and Symbols to begin to understand what it is that He has done. The problem with Mankind is that we take these Signs and Symbols and turn them into idols of worship.
We must let go of this World, and look towards Haba Olam, the World to come. In the meantime, He has commanded us to proclaim His Word, and to be a light to the Nations. We are to give truthful answers regarding His Will, opposed to Theologies and Traditions handed down to us.
Let us now pray and ask for His Guidance on this matter:
