Ashes

Shalom Fellow Israelite,                                                     

The powers which are being unleashed in Nature, through earthquakes and volcanoes, are gripping the world's attention at this time.  One can only speculate as to the Creator's reasons for setting in motion these natural forces.  Nevertheless, YHVH uses every means at His disposal to fulfill His prophetic purposes.

Earlier in the week, I sent out a little note that connected the ash over Europe to the Holocaust.  Another thought that arrested me was the connection of the Hebrew word for ashes – epher – to the name Ephraim.  In Psalm 80, the Psalm of Asaph (of the same root as Yoseph – to gather), mention is made of a vine that Elohim took out of Egypt. It was a prosperous vine that had spread its boughs, but later, at YHVH's rebuke, it was cut down and burned with fire, obviously turning it into ashes.  The House of Joseph, along with many from the other tribes, has been scattered throughout the earth like the fine dust of ashes.  Yet in spite of this condition, there are still some living sparks smoldering in these ashes, so that when the Ruach blows on them, the embers will ignite and become a flame, in fulfillment of Obadiah's prophecy: "The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame" (verse 18).

When Abraham was pleading with YHVH for the sake of Sodom, he said of himself:  "Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to YHVH" (Genesis 18:27 emphasis added).  May we, of the Abrahamic seed, see ourselves in the same light!  Our hearts are saddened by the ongoing controversy among the redeemed remnant of Israel.  Apparently as of late, some Messianic leaders have been setting up 'boundaries' of identification between Jewish, Ephraimite, and Gentile believers, using external forms of dress and styles of worship as criteria, rather than taking the Father's perspective and looking at the heart.  Bitter accusations, unforgiveness, pride, self-righteousness, strife, and contention are the demonic characteristics that are kindling feuds of strange fires in the House of Elohim.  What is even sadder is that this has been intensifying during the time of the Counting of the Omer.  Instead of keeping the inner eyes on Yeshua (the Omer), and on the awesome revelation of what our Heavenly Father accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection, poisonous gases are being spewed into the spiritual atmosphere, and are polluting relationships. These anti-Messiah spirits are keeping YHVH's House (the House of Jacob) divided.  These are the same spirits that were at work in Cain, who lashed against his brother with venom and snuffed out his life, and in Esau, who also hated his brother and desired to kill him. 

We who have received the Holy Spirit, which defines all of us as 'Messianic,' must take personal responsibility and use the gifts that come with the Spirit.  One of the gifts is "discerning of spirits" (ref. 1 Corinthians 12:10). This gift helps us to not only recognize someone else's spiritual condition, but mainly our own.  If we have any maturity at all, we must realize by now that "our warfare is not against flesh and blood" (ref. 2 Corinthians 10:4).  Yeshua came to reside in a people who would cooperate with Him to tear down fortresses and high places that are exalting themselves against the knowledge of Elohim. He came to establish His righteousness, peace, and joy, which is the work of restoring the Kingdom of Elohim in the House of Jacob. If we truly repent, in dust and ashes, for cooperating with the nature of the other kingdom, YHVH will give us "beauty [pe'er] for ashes [epher], the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they [we] might be called trees [literally oaks] of righteousness, the planting of YHVH, that He might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3 emphasis added).

Shabbat Shalom

Ephraim