A Hebraic Perspective
by Renah
Shofar-Tekiah, Vol. 1, No 1, Aviv/Spring 2004
[Tekiah: one long blast with a clear tone]
Updated May 2009
Introduction
A CUP OF COLD WATER
Many messengers emphasize the love of God – His loving-kindness, mercy, and grace. Yet, at times, in an effort to be gentle and loving, messages fail to convincingly and convictingly tell the stark truth. This writer tends to stress clear and simple truth and hopes this treatise is conveyed to the reader in the spirit of love and concern in which it is written. If it is deemed too harsh, I would appreciate receiving a critique, teaching me how to re-phrase the message in a more loving way. I tend to write in a “shofar” manner, hence the name of the publication. The shofar does not make a soothing sound. Rather, it sounds an alarm. I am alarmed at what is happening within Christianity today and how far it has strayed from its Hebrew roots. Friends and family members are not walking with the LORD as they should and are oblivious to their true condition. Who can return to the LORD who does not know he needs to return? Who can come back to the LORD who trusts that his “sinner’s prayer” will take him all the way to the Kingdom, though he has lost all interest in God’s Word, walks in weakness and failure, and could care less about the ways of the Lord and learning more about them. As for those who walk in sincerity with pure hearts before the LORD, who can return to their rich, Hebraic heritage who do not realize how warped Christianity has become over the centuries?
There are other resources that share the truths that I touch on more thoroughly, yet in a gentler, more palatable manner. They are like a refreshing cup of cold water to truth-seekers and Christians of open minds. My treatise is more like a cup of cold water thrown in your face. It may be unpleasant, but if it succeeds in waking the Remnant like a shrill alarm clock, it will have served its purpose. In any event, I don’t seem to know how to write any other way. Maybe this is my gift. I am a shofar, not a flute. May the LORD by His Spirit continue to bring the promised Restoration of the true faith in these Last Days, and may His people rise up to their destiny in the difficult yet awesome days ahead.
ISRAEL’S NEW COVENANT
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt:which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD; But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the LORD; I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people....” Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:7-10; 10:16
THE SHOCKING AND CONTROVERSIAL TRUTH
Christians claim to embrace the New Covenant. Yet many deny everything that defines the New Covenant! The New Covenant is made with Israel. Yet they deny they are Israelites subject to the promises and responsibilities of being Israelites. The New Covenant is made with the two houses of Israel. Yet they deny that there are two houses of Israel and claim that Israel is just Jews. They claim that “the Church” is a distinct entity from Israel with different rules and different promises altogether. Where is that in Scripture? The New Covenant is a covenant in which God’s laws are written in the hearts of those born again. Yet, Christians deny that God’s laws have any place in their lives and declare them obsolete! So, in effect, by “accepting Jesus,” yet rejecting the “New Covenant,” they have not entered into covenant status with the LORD at all! Please read this paragraph prayerfully again, comparing it with the verses above, and let it sink in.
WHO IS THE REAL JESUS?
What “Jesus” have Christians accepted when they do not accept His words, His ways, His covenant? The Bible speaks of “another Jesus,” one who Paul did not preach (2 Cor. 11:4). This is the “Jesus” that many have accepted as their “savior.” He is an imposter, a devil in disguise, an idol, a counterfeit, an antichrist. Those who truly accept the LORD Jesus Christ as their Saviour are accepting a Jewish Messiah, whose Hebrew name is YESHUA. They are grafted in to the Olive Tree, and become “chosen people,” adopted sons and citizens of the Israel of God (see Romans 11 and Galatians 6:16). They may, unbeknownst to them, be descended from the tribes of Israel scattered throughout the nations (see Hosea 1, Ezekiel 36, Romans 9, and James 1:1), or they may be Gentiles, or they may be Jews. All must enter through the same Door. All must be branches of the same Tree. There is One Shepherd, one flock, one faith (Jer. 23:3; Eph. 4:5; Jude 3-4).
The New Covenant is a renewed covenant. The Old Covenant, summarized in Ten Commandments on stone tablets, is now renewed, with these same commandments engraved in our hearts, giving us the inner motivation to obey them. Now we love His commandments. They are no longer grievous burdens. With “Jesus in our heart” we can do what once seemed too difficult (Phil. 4:13; Matt. 19:26). This is why the New Covenant is better than the Old (Hebrews 8:6-10).
Yeshua came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). If Christians continue to practice a lifestyle of sin, rejecting God’s ways, can this be called salvation from sin? Is it “faith” to believe in Jesus but not believe in His power to deliver from iniquity?
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Luke 6:46
HELLFIRE INSURANCE ONLY?
Many Christians only want a “Get out of hell free” card. They want to continue to live a self-directed life in conformity to the ways of the world, the culture around them. They do not want to be a peculiar people (Deut. 14:2; Deut. 26:18; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). They do not want to be ostracized from others. They do not want persecution, even though that is exactly what is promised to true disciples (2 Tim. 3:12). They think obedience is optional. They think commandment keeping is a relic from the past that is no longer relevant. What a rude awakening awaits them at the Judgment, when they will be judged by their works, whether they did good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10; Romans 14:10-12). It is evil to reject the Covenant of the LORD God of Heaven, who sent His only begotten Son to make the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for sin, that we might be born again, grafted in to the Commonwealth of Israel (Eph. 2:12-13), partakers of the blessings of God, able to glorify God by living a lifestyle that honors Him with obedience to the wisdom of His ways (torah submission), not dishonoring Him with a lifestyle of debauchery and/or worldly-mindedness.
It is time for thee, LORD to work; For they have made void thy law Psalm 119:126
THE TEST OF PSALM 119
Let us examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the Faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Have we actually entered into the New Covenant? We must ask ourselves these pertinent questions:
• Do I love God’s law? (Hebrew: torah, i.e., instruction) “Oh how love I thy law; it is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97)
• Do I keep God’s law? “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.” (Psalm 119:129)
• Do I rejoice in God’s law? “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14)
• Have I chosen the way of truth? “I have chosen the way of truth...” (Psalm 119:30)
• Do I delight in God’s commandments? “Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.” (Psalm 119:36)
• Do I hate every false way? “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:104)
• Do I have peace? “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165)
• Do I believe God’s Word is true and that His commandments are not obsolete? “Thy Word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.” (Psalm 119:160)
FALSE START?
It is possible that some Christians have been led astray by the rampant deceptions that Yeshua warned about (Mark 13:5,6) and have never entered in to the New Covenant. No wonder they are weak, with no love of the Scriptures, no love of God’s law, no power to obey. It is possible that the “Jesus” they accepted was the counterfeit. This “spirit” would have us believe that:
• Torah keeping is bondage and legalism (Refutation: Psalm 19:7-11; Ps.1:1-3).
• We cannot help willfully sinning every day (Refutation: Romans 6:1-2; Hebrews 10:26).
• God accepts our weaknesses and failures and does not expect us to be overcomers by His strength and grace (Refutation: Romans 1:17; 1 John 5:4-5; Rev. 3:5; 21:7).
• The Ten Commandments are obsolete and no longer in force for Christians (Refutation: Matt. 5:17-20; Romans 3:31).
• The only two commandments for Christians are to love God and one another, with no specifics on how to do that; it is just a feeling or emotion (Refutation: 1 John 3:18; Titus 1:16).
• Christians should just blend in with the world and be no different (Refutation: 1 John 2:15; James 1:27; 4:4).
• Jews are no longer God’s chosen people; they are going to hell unless they accept the paganized, antinomian “Jesus” and stop with the kosher and Sabbath keeping, etc. (Refutation: Romans 1:16; Romans 9-11).
• Salvation means we can keep on sinning because Jesus paid for our sins (Refutation: Romans 6:1-2).
• We can keep pagan holidays and traditions if we choose. God is no longer a jealous God (Refutation: Exodus 34:14; Deut. 4:16-24; 7:25-26; 12:29-32; 1 John 5:21; Acts 15:19-21).
• We do not need to spend time with God each day in His Word to be overcomers and successful in life (Refutation: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1; Rev. 2-3).
• Blessings and curses have nothing to do with obedience and disobedience (Refutation: Deut. 28; Col. 3:25).
• There is no literal Millennial Kingdom of God on Earth that is coming soon (Refutation: Ezekiel 37; Zechariah 14; Rev. 19:11-20:6)
BACKSLIDERS
It is also possible that some Christians have accepted the true Jesus and His covenant and were born again, but have subsequently become backslidden, deceived, and on the wrong path at the present time. This is the test question:
• Do I remember God’s commandments even while backslidden? “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:76)
Does the truth of God’s Word continue to haunt you? Are you running, but finding no place to hide? You are still His, and He never stops seeking His lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7). Your life is probably quite tempestuous, full of the loving chastisement of the LORD (Jonah; Rev. 3:19). The scary part is, He has given you free will. You could in your rebellion go too far, and not find a place of repentance. I do not know where that line is crossed; I would not want to be too close to it (Pro. 24:16; Romans 1:18-32; 2 Cor. 13:5; 2 Tim. 3:8; Heb. 6:4-6; Heb. 10:26-29, 38, 39).
This earthly life is the time of second chances. This life is a proving ground for eternity. Your life is a testimony to others, for better or worse. Even if it is a bungled mess now, if the change comes, and others see it, your life can be a testimony to the saving power and forgiveness that Yeshua brings and may be the catalyst that someone else needs to get right with God.
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; But in Me is thy help..... O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; For thou hast fallen by thy iniquity....I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; For mine anger is turned away from him. Hosea 13:9; 14:1,4
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
There is a battle for your soul between the real Jesus and the counterfeit, the devil himself, who has many disguises and many deceptions. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve (Joshua 24:15). If Baal is God (paganized, counterfeit, lawless “jesus”), serve him. If the LORD (YHVH/YESHUA) is God, serve Him (1 Kings 18:21). Your lifestyle and beliefs will tell you whom you have been serving. It is true that in our own strength we can do nothing, yet we can choose the fear of the LORD (Pro. 1:29). We can choose to be made righteous. We can allow the LORD to do the transforming work in our lives. This is not a passive activity but a conscious choice day by day. Choose the way of the LORD, forsaking your own way. Choose life! (Deut. 30:19).
DISPENSATIONALISM
Another group of Christian believers are those who go only so far in their appreciation of the Scriptures and the commandments of God. They have been indoctrinated in dispensationalism, and, as a result, have a blind spot. They love the LORD, but “see through a glass darkly” regarding Torah and the Commonwealth of Israel. They think the “law of liberty” is freedom from Torah rather than understanding that Torah is liberty (freedom) from the bondage of sin (James 1:25; 2:8-12). In other words, the commandments of God are liberating when properly understood and practiced by grace through faith, in newness of spirit, “for the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). These sincere believers just need to take a closer look at what the Scriptures clearly say, without looking through a dispensationalist prism that distorts the truth. They need to study the Scriptures from a Hebraic perspective, which will open up to them a wealth of new understanding and insight.
MISSING LINK
Life in the New Covenant is a wonderful life. There is joy unspeakable and peace that passes all understanding (1 Peter 1:18; Phil. 4:7). Torah is not bondage, but blessing, wisdom, and “all her paths are peace” (Pro. 3:13-18). It is the missing link in living the Christian life as it is meant to be lived. The enemy of our souls has stolen Torah from us and given us an emaciated Christianity. We fault Jews for rejecting Jesus....and they fault us for rejecting Torah. Both are essential (Rev. 12:17; 14:12). Yeshua taught that we must keep the commandments and follow Him (John 14:15; 15:10; Matt. 4:4; 19:16-26; Luke 6:46).
He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4
The path that leads unto life is not one way for Jews (Torah) and another way for Christians (Jesus). It is one way for all. Yeshua is THE Way, the Word (Torah) made flesh (John 1). Someone may say, “The Hebraic way is too foreign.” Yet it is our ways that are foreign to the LORD. The word “Hebrew” means “one who crossed over” (the Euphrates River from Babylon). Our father Abraham was the first Hebrew. We become Hebrews by leaving Babylon behind (the world/paganism), crossing over completely from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light. When we “straddle the river” with one foot in Babylon and one foot in the Kingdom of God, we go nowhere. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). No wonder the double-minded and wavering do not receive anything from the LORD and do not experience transcendence (see James 1:5-8).
RESTORATION
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With a whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:9-11
To those who seek restoration, read prayerfully all of Psalm 119. You just may find a place of repentance as you meditate in these inspired Scriptures. Many times understanding comes after obedience, so do not let lack of understanding keep you from stepping out in faith and embracing Torah. Please do not say you are not convicted if you are not spending at least one hour a day looking in the mirror of God’s Word (Joshua 1:8; Matt. 26:40-41; Hebrews 4:12; James 4:7-10). Have you read God’s Word from cover to cover more than once and from year to year? If not, Bible Pathway has an excellent Bible reading plan and daily devotional. This resource is a good starting place and is not antinomian (lawless) in its tone and commentary.
FINAL THOUGHTS
God allowed terror and tragedy to strike America on 9-11. Many said it was a wake-up call. Just what message were we supposed to get out of this horrific event? One thought that comes to mind is to turn those numbers around (Hebrew is read from right to left) and take certain Scriptures to heart that American Christians have ignored for far too long. 911 reversed is 119, as in Psalm 119. It is curious that Psalm 1 and Psalm 19 also exalt Torah.
Has the original, apostolic faith been “hijacked” since about the 2nd century? Have we been following the wrong religion? Have we been following the teachings and practices of the Church Fathers rather than our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Are we going to “crash and burn” as a result? I have not seen much evidence of soul searching and repentance in this nation since 9/11/01. If, God forbid, further terrorist acts are carried out in America and our enemies triumph over us, will it be said as in Jeremiah’s day:
This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction.....the land shall be desolate.
See Jeremiah 7 for a comparison of Judah’s transgressions with those of America today and the chastisement that ensued. Does God change? (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). See also 2 Kings 18:11-12 regarding Israel’s Assyrian captivity for their transgressions.
If God-fearing Americans would truly repent, we can count on this promise:
If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
We have become outraged with the wicked ways of those who make no profession of faith, yet have failed to acknowledge our own transgressions against the God we claim to love and serve. Let us start with our “I”dolatry -- the “I will believe and do whatever I please” syndrome.
In those days there was no king in Israel: Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25
Torah is foundational. It is quoted throughout the New Testament. Deuteronomy alone is quoted 80 times. The phrase, “it is written” occurs 66 times in the Bible, 63 times in the New Testament. It could not be clearer that, far from being obsolete, Torah is vital. We ignore it at our own peril. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law (Torah), even his prayer shall be abomination” (Pro. 28:9). Paul, “the apostle to the Gentiles,” declared the (Old Testament) Scriptures profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). He continued to keep Torah, including sabbaths and feasts, and urged Gentile believers to “be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). When are we going to realize that God gave us One Bible, a continuing, non-contradictory story from Genesis to Revelation. Man divided it into “Old Testament” and “New Testament” as if they are two separate Bibles, one for Jews and one for Christians. Does it make sense that God would require faithfulness of some people (Jews, tribulation saints) and let other people (“the church in the age of grace”) get a free pass to Heaven no matter how wicked, unbelieving, or backslidden they are? I have heard some say that in this dispensation we do not have to endure to the end to be saved, and that we will be raptured out before any severe testing (tribulation). Does God change? How unfair of Him to require of others what He does not require of this last, Laodicean, lukewarm generation! We must repent of wrongly dividing the Word of Truth, especially the kind of “I am of Paul/Somebody else’s mail” hyper-dispensationalism that slices, dices, and chops up the Scriptures to oblivion, even the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ, destroying His authority in our life! What kind of a twisted Gospel message would negate the teachings of Jesus Himself!?
CLOSING PRAYER
May the LORD continue to have mercy and patience with His wayward children. May the prophesied “spirit of Elijah” turn our hearts back to our true fathers, the Biblical patriarchs (Malachi 4:5-6) and may we remember the words of the prophet Zechariah:
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. Zechariah 8:23
Like a lilac breeze in the month of Ziv, may the Spirit of the LORD breathe on us, and renew us, and restore us in the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake ....In Yeshua our Messiah
Comments, questions, and critique of this treatise are welcome. Let us dialogue.
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Permission for reproducing this treatise for free distribution will be granted upon request, providing there are no alterations and a link to this blog is included. “Renah” is my pen-name. This is original writing, not copied and pasted from another website as my critics have falsely charged. The treatise was approved by my husband, editor-in-chief of our publications. All rights reserved for the protection of the overall message, which I believe the LORD has given and directed us to share.
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