October 23, 1998
When YHVH first commanded our father Avram (in Gensis 12), saying to him “lech-lechah” (“go for yourself”, “take yourself out of there”, “come away from the place you are in”, in other words “be separate”), He also gave him a promise. What was the promise? A piece of real-estate (land), a multitude of desendents, a nation and a blessing. As a nation, the time came to leave Egypt behind. Many generations later a portion of the Hebrew people had to come out of Babylon, and in this day they (we) are called out of the nations, and out of this world’s kingdoms. All of these departures were (and are) for the same reason, to obtain a land, to become a nation, and in order to benefit from a blessing.
Was Avram going to suffer the loss of all things for the sake of the promise, or was he going to enter a state of “fear” because he had to let go of that which was familiar and secure? The “I will” of Elohim was his challenge. Could he trust his Elohim to deliver that which He said He would do? If you are of Avraham’s seed, these same promises are for you: a land, a nation and a blessing. YHVH has not changed His promises to Avraham, nor to his seed, but will fulfill them in and through a people that will walk before Him blameless, complete, perfect, in integrity and obedience. How do we walk before Elohim? With faith, hope, and trusting Him in all matters that pertain to life and godliness.
“’For, Lo, the day has come’, says YHVH,’ that I will restore the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it’” (Jeremiah 30:3). “Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Yacov's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be built upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be the least” (Jeremiah 30:18-19). “The fierce anger of YHVH shall not return, until he has done it, and until he has performed the intents of his heart, in the latter days ye shall consider, and understand these things” (Jeremiah 30:24). “’At this same time’, says YHVH,’I will be the Elohim of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people’. Thus says YHVH, ‘The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel; thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.. For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry: ‘Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto YHVH our God’” (Jeremiah 31:1-6).
To live outside the land, which was promised to our forefathers, is to live in the realms of the curse, which our forefathers were cursed with when they sinned against God while living in the land. "Then people would say: `Because they have forsaken the covenant of YHVH Elohim of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; `for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. `Then the anger of YHVH was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book `And YHVH uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day”'(Deuteronomy 29:25-28). But through His grace and mercy He established a New Covenant: "’Behold, the days are coming’, says YHVH, ‘when 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 lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,’ says YHVH. ‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days’ says YHVH ‘I will put My Torah (law) in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (Jeremiah31:31-33). Through this covenant He forgives and restores us, canceling the curse of breaking the laws which are in Torah, and sets us free to be bound to the Torah of life in His Son, who brings us back to his sheepfold like a shepherd who finds his lost sheep. He heals us of the wounds and hurts from the destructive ways of sin and inequity and writes His Torah on our hearts that we might know Him. But most of all, He restores our tent, and places it back in the land that we might be a blessing and a light to all the nations on this earth.
The eye of YHVH is on those who fear Him, for His angels are encamped around those who fear Him. “Blessed is the nation whose Elohim is YHVH; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. For YHVH will not cast off His people, neither will he forsake His inheritance” (Psalms 33:12, 94:14).
Ephraim
“How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity...for in this Elohim commands the blessing - life eternal” (Ps. 133:1-3)
When YHVH first commanded our father Avram (in Gensis 12), saying to him “lech-lechah” (“go for yourself”, “take yourself out of there”, “come away from the place you are in”, in other words “be separate”), He also gave him a promise. What was the promise? A piece of real-estate (land), a multitude of desendents, a nation and a blessing. As a nation, the time came to leave Egypt behind. Many generations later a portion of the Hebrew people had to come out of Babylon, and in this day they (we) are called out of the nations, and out of this world’s kingdoms. All of these departures were (and are) for the same reason, to obtain a land, to become a nation, and in order to benefit from a blessing.
Was Avram going to suffer the loss of all things for the sake of the promise, or was he going to enter a state of “fear” because he had to let go of that which was familiar and secure? The “I will” of Elohim was his challenge. Could he trust his Elohim to deliver that which He said He would do? If you are of Avraham’s seed, these same promises are for you: a land, a nation and a blessing. YHVH has not changed His promises to Avraham, nor to his seed, but will fulfill them in and through a people that will walk before Him blameless, complete, perfect, in integrity and obedience. How do we walk before Elohim? With faith, hope, and trusting Him in all matters that pertain to life and godliness.
“’For, Lo, the day has come’, says YHVH,’ that I will restore the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it’” (Jeremiah 30:3). “Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Yacov's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be built upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be the least” (Jeremiah 30:18-19). “The fierce anger of YHVH shall not return, until he has done it, and until he has performed the intents of his heart, in the latter days ye shall consider, and understand these things” (Jeremiah 30:24). “’At this same time’, says YHVH,’I will be the Elohim of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people’. Thus says YHVH, ‘The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel; thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.. For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry: ‘Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto YHVH our God’” (Jeremiah 31:1-6).
To live outside the land, which was promised to our forefathers, is to live in the realms of the curse, which our forefathers were cursed with when they sinned against God while living in the land. "Then people would say: `Because they have forsaken the covenant of YHVH Elohim of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; `for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. `Then the anger of YHVH was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book `And YHVH uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day”'(Deuteronomy 29:25-28). But through His grace and mercy He established a New Covenant: "’Behold, the days are coming’, says YHVH, ‘when 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 lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,’ says YHVH. ‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days’ says YHVH ‘I will put My Torah (law) in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (Jeremiah31:31-33). Through this covenant He forgives and restores us, canceling the curse of breaking the laws which are in Torah, and sets us free to be bound to the Torah of life in His Son, who brings us back to his sheepfold like a shepherd who finds his lost sheep. He heals us of the wounds and hurts from the destructive ways of sin and inequity and writes His Torah on our hearts that we might know Him. But most of all, He restores our tent, and places it back in the land that we might be a blessing and a light to all the nations on this earth.
The eye of YHVH is on those who fear Him, for His angels are encamped around those who fear Him. “Blessed is the nation whose Elohim is YHVH; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. For YHVH will not cast off His people, neither will he forsake His inheritance” (Psalms 33:12, 94:14).
Ephraim
“How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity...for in this Elohim commands the blessing - life eternal” (Ps. 133:1-3)
No comments:
Post a Comment