Luke 24:30, He sat at the table. (See also vv. 41–43; John 21:12–13). In Bible times, when a covenant of friendship had been broken, as had occurred when the disciples forsook Yeshua prior to his apprehension, the broken relationship would be restored by eating together. After his resurrection, Yeshua had at least three meals with his disciples in order to renew loving covenantal relationship with them (Manners and Customs, pp. 78–79).
In Hebraic thought, one’s table is a sort of sacred altar where familial and spiritual communion occurs. You don’t just break bread with anyone—only your close friends. Additionally, when a prayer of thanksgiving is made over a meal, YHVH’s Presence is invoked making the meal a sort of spiritual act where heaven and earth commune together. This is one reason why the Passover seder meal is of such serious significance. Only those of one’s spiritual family are to gather together at the seder where together they meet with Elohim. Furthermore, this is why Paul states in 1 Cor 5:9–11,
I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. (emphasis added)
Luke 23:34,Father, forgive them.Yeshua said this for his and our benefit, and not because it made any difference in the lives of those who crucified him. It was for his benefit, so that the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness wouldn’t take root in him. It is for our benefit, so that we’d have his example to follow when dealing with our enemies.
There is a deep and transformative truth in the power of forgiveness. When we forgive our offender (it doesn’t matter whether they know about it or not), it prepares the way for the relationship to be restored. The miracle and beauty of the forgiveness process is that now we get to help those who have sinned against us in the healing of their own sin.
Like so many of Elohim’s truths and Yeshua’s practices, this is counter intuitive to the natural way man thinks. When sinned against, man’s natural, knee-jerk response is to hold on proudly to bitterness and offense in hopes the other person will recognize their error and humbly repent of their sin to us, the offended party. This is delusional thinking on the part of the one sinned against, since it seldom works this way.
Because of human pride, both the sinner and the one sinned against—if each follows their own natural and self-defensive inclination—will usually dig in and fortifies the position of their own self-rightness. The sinner is certain he is justified in his actions against the one he sinned against, while the offended party feels it is his right to walk in offense until the sinner admits his sin and repents. As such, each party remains frozen and polarized in his position and the break in the relationship is never resolved. Division and strife becomes the etched-in-stone norm. This is all based on human pride, which heads the list of the seven deadly sins that YHVH hates the most and views as an abomination (Prov 6:16) resulting in division between brethren (Prov 6:19).
It is the devil who is our adversary, is the one who destructively divides (John 10:10) and accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10), and the one who comes to kill, steal and destroy loves this. When we hold on to bitterness and unforgiveness against someone, we become their adversary and accuser. This results in strife and division between people.
This prideful division between people is not resolved until one of the parties chooses to follow the instructions and example of Yeshua to become a blessed peacemaker (Matt 5:9) and humbles himself and forgives his neighbor, so that the healing process can occur. On the cross, Yeshua initiated this process of relationship restoration in preparation for his role in heaven as our Great High Priest to act on our behalf before his Father to reconcile sinful man through himself to Elohim.
Psalm 112:1, Blessed is the man. YHVH promises blessing upon those who fear him and delight in his commandments. This is such a simple concept to understand that it’s shocking that more people can’t grasp it! When you acknowledge the Almighty Creator of all things, who is the Just Judge of the universe and the Supreme Lawgiver and you seek him, serve him with reverence and live by his rules, it all stands to reason that you’ll reap some benefits. The blessings resulting therefrom are incalculable; the psalmist lists a few of them in the following verses.
Verse 2—His descendants will be mighty upon the earth. The Hebrew word for mighty is gibbor meaning “powerful; by implication warrior, or champion, chief, giant, mighty, strong (man), valiant.” When we think of the concept of mighty, we mustn’t fall into the trap of defining mighty as the world defines it, which usually involves money, power and fame. One can be gibbor in YHVH’s sight and not possess those attributes that society requires for one to be considered “great” or “mighty.”
Verse 3—He will possess wealth and riches.Wealth is the Hebrew word hon meaning “enough.” Therefore, the Bible defines wealth as having enough. How does one define enough? How many people on earth don’t have enough? What are our needs versus or wants? If our needs are met, then we have enough. If we have more than that, then we have an over abundance and are truly wealthy.
Verse 3—His righteousness endures forever. What does this mean? This can be taken to mean several things. First, his righteousness endures through is posterity because he has raise his children in the fear of Elohim, and they in turn pass these values on to their children and so on. Second, as salt and light, he has also influenced the world around him make it a more positively and a better place. Like a pebble dropped into a lake, the ripples of his actions will reach out and touch many lives for years to come. Third, the righteous man has the hope of eternal life, therefore, both he and he will live forever before Elohim because he fears Elohim in righteousness. What is righteousness? It is adherence to the commandments of Elohim (Ps 119:172) and delighting in said commandments (Ps 112:1).
Exodus 10:3,How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? The sovereign Creator ultimately demands that everyone submits to his will and purposes. Those who refuse to do so imperil themselves. The Scriptures record that YHVH also held other political leaders in addition to Pharaoh accountable for exalting themselves against him and for refusing to humble themselves before him. These include Nebuchanezzar (Dan 4:19ff), Belshazzar (Dan 5:22), Zedekiah (2 Chron 36:12), Lucifer (Isa 14:13ff) and Herod (Acts 12:21–23).
Furthermore, those who put their trust in false gods will come under the judgment of the one supreme and true Elohim or Mighty One of the Bible. Elohim uses men’s false gods or idols as a judgment against sinners to help them to see the futility of their idolatrous delusions and to bring them to repentance (e.g. Isa 66:4–5; Prov 10:24).
As Elohim judged the false gods of Egypt one by one and brought that arrogant nation down, he will do the same in the end days with Babylon the Great and the gods or idols of this world. We see a striking parallel between the plagues YHVH brought upon Egypt and those he will bring upon the rebellious inhabitants of earth just prior to Yeshua’s second coming. For example, the seventh plague of the seventh vial is an ultimate expression of the fierceness of Elohim’s wrath upon a rebellious and still blaspheming world (Rev 16:17–21). Seventy five pound hailstones will fall from heaven and the earth will quake beneath. There will be no hiding place from Elohim’s wrath. Additional end-time plages that replicate those of Egypt include grievous sores to come upon men (Rev 16:2), the seawater and fresh water turning to blood (Rev 16:3–4), and darkness upon the earth (Rev 16:10). After this, Babylon the Great will fall (Rev 18:2), even as ancient Egypt fell under the mighty blows of YHVH’s judgment.
Psalm chapter two summarizes the rebellious arrogance of men, and their conspiracy against the Creator to keep control of their earthly kingdoms. Elohim will laugh at them from heaven and will send his Son to judge them and to break their kingdoms in pieces with a rod of iron. Kiss Messiah the Son now and worship him if you expect to escape these judgments (v. 12)!
What gods or idols do we have in our lives that we are holding on to? Each of the plagues against Egypt was a direct strike against one of the many gods of Egypt (Exod 12:12; Num 33:4). Elohim will destroy all pretenders and imposters who dare to challenge his sovereignty. (See notes at Exod 7:14.) The god of self will is the most powerful false god each human will ever face!
Psalm 102:17, Destitute. Lit. naked; fig. poor or destitute. If we expect the Almighty Creator of the universe to hear our prayers, we must come before him naked and poor, devoid of all pride, facades and pretense. He sees us as we really are anyway, so why pretend that we’re otherwise?
We’re really fooling no one but ourselves when we put on prideful pretenses. Adam and Eve were literally naked before Elohim and walked with him in perfect fellowship, until they sinned. After sinning, they clothed themselves to hide their nakedness.
When the first humans sinned, Elohim asked them, “Where are you?” In other words, they were hiding their true selves behind a covering of fig leaves because of their guilt and shame due to sin. Thus Elohim was really asking them, where are your true selves without the masks and cloaks?
Previous to their sinning, they were naked and unashamed. Afterwards, they were clothed and ashamed and separated from YHVH.
There’s a lesson here. YHVH wants us to be truthful, open, honest with ourselves and with him as if totally naked. Only then will he hear our prayers, otherwise we’re praying deceitful, empty and meaningless prayers, which is the Hebrew definition of the word vain as in vanity. The prideful and vain cannot stand before Elohim, for human pride is an abomination to him, which he hates the most of all human sins (Prov 6:16–17).
Pornography is unredeeming filth. There is nothing positive about it ever, especially for young children.
Pornography is highly addictive, since it stimulates the pleasure center of brain like a drug. The desire for more pornography, like cocaine, for example, never gets satisfied. It leaves the brain craving for more and more, for an increasingly higher “high.” Therefore, pornography leads one into a never-ending downward spiral of addictions; it’s a deep, dark hole with no bottom.
Pornography destroys children, men and women and then marriages and families, which are the bedrock of society. When this foundation is destroyed, the whole society collapses.
Pornography can lead to all sorts of sexual perversions and deviant behaviors such as pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, homosexuality, masochism, incest, sadism and to sexual crimes such as rape, sex abuse and other criminality.
Pornography promotes lust, which is a sin. According to biblical definition, lust is the strong desire for something that’s illicit or illegal or, in other words, for someone or something that isn’t yours to have or doesn’t belong to you.
Pornography undermines the dignity of both men and women. It downgrades the value of sex by turning women and men into sex objects and the sex act because merely about sensual and selfish gratification. Pornography profanes the holy and divine purpose of the physical union between a man and his wife for the purpose of intimacy and to propagate the human race for the purpose of producing potential sons and daughter for the heavenly kingdom of Elohim (God).
The birth rate in western nations is going down. This is due to many factors, but pornography is one of them.
Pornography can cause sexual confusion, gender confusion, sexual dysfunction, sexual frustration, false sexual expectations.
Due to chemical reactions that occur in the human brain while viewing pornography, these images are powerfully stamped into a person’s brain forever. They are difficult if not impossible to erase.
Pornography is a form of prostitution.
Pornography feeds the sex trafficking industry. This is a form of slavery.
Pornography destroys children. Thanks to the smart phone, many young children are exposed to this evil. It adversely affects their impressionable and developing brain. Evil thoughts and ideas are put into their brains. Morals are eroded and often children will act out what they see, and such things will adversely affect them and those around them for the rest of their lives and for generations to come.
Pornography often promotes dissatisfaction and sexual dysfunction in marriage, since it raises one’s sexual expectations in marriage to unrealistic levels.
When young boys are exposed to pornography, it hampers if not destroys their ability to relate to girls, since they compare themselves to the male porn stars they see and feel that somehow they’ll fall short in looks and acts. Moreover, they’re scared of girls, who don’t look as good as the fake female porn stars they see on film. Likewise, young girls who are exposed to pornography compare themselves to the made up female porn stars they see, and feel that they don’t compare favorably in looks, so this affects their ability to relate to boys.
When boys view pornographic image on a computer screen and react sexually to that, their brain is conditioned to react to these fake, idealized virtual reality image. Their first sexual encounter with a women, in effect, is through a screen. Then when they’re with a real person, and when that person doesn’t live up to the idealized images and expectations of the screen, they’re unable to perform sexually.
For those of you struggling with addiction to pornography, offer up to YHVH Elohim your sincere and deep heartfelt repentance of this sin, and then ask Yeshua the Messiah to take away from you the desire for it, and he will. Then make a covenant with your heart and eyes that you will no longer view it. Them make sure that this stuff doesn’t come over your screens by activating all the security controls and filters possible. (I use electronics multiple times every day, and pornography doesn’t come across my screen, thus eliminating the possibility for temptation.) Then be accountable to someone else who will check in with you periodically and pray with you to insure that you stay clean and pure.
May YHVH Elohim strengthen and bless you as you walk down his path of holiness and righteousness!
Scripture records that Abraham was the patriarch (literally chief father) of the Hebrew people, and a pillar of faith because of his trust in and obedience to YHVH Elohim. As such, he is often referred to as the Father of the Faithful. But when Elohim first called this man of faith and grandfather of the Israelite people, was he a giant in his faith? Not at all. Yes he had faith, but his faith was imperfect; it had to grow, and it was a process, which we will discuss below.
Abraham’s faith, like the proverbial mustard seed, started out small, but it was still enormous compared to most other people. After all, on a mere promise from Elohim, he uprooted his entire family and travelled on foot hundreds of miles across the dangerous desert and through various countries and encountering many hardships along the way in hopes of a better life. It was if he were moving from New York City to Jawbone Flats, Oregon, a virtual ghost town in the mountains—population four!
Abraham’s first steps of faith were measured, cautious, incremental and at times hesitant, yet through it all YHVH was gracious because Abraham’s heart was inclined to do his will. Because of Abraham’s faithfulness, YHVH still counted it to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6). Not only that, but he passed his mountain moving, gravity defying faith on to his children and grandchildren and beyond, and this legacy of faith lives on in many of his descendants to this day.
There is much that we, as the children of Abraham through our faith in Yeshua the Messiah, can learn from this pillar of faith and his immediate descendants and associates that will strengthen our own faith in YHVH Elohim and his promises.
Abraham and Sarah
Genesis 12:1, Get thee out of thy country. Did Abram immediately leave his father’s house and go directly to the country that YHVH would show him, or did he fulfill YHVH’s will for his life in incremental steps? Compare Genesis 11:31 with Genesis 12:1. Did Abram leave his father’s house completely, or take part of his father’s house with him including his father and nephew? Haran is located in northern Mesopotamia and is nowhere near Canaan. When Abram finally made his way to Canaan minus his father, did he still have part of his kindred with him, something YHVH instructed him to leave behind (Gen 12:1)? Did his nephew Lot prove to be a help or a hindrance to Abram in fulfilling YHVH’s mission for his life in a new land? What lessons can we learn from this account?
First, YHVH is gracious to us even when we don’t obey him completely and immediately. Scripture still refers to Abraham as the father of the faithful or faithfulness (Rom 4:12, 16).
Second, Abram was a man of prominence in Babylon (Chaldea), was recognized as a mighty prince (Gen 23:6), and was 75 years old when YHVH asked him to leave the comforts of life in Babylon to trek across the desert to the backwoods region of Canaan. No doubt, this was not an easy move for Abram for the reasons already stated.
Those who would follow Yeshua have to make similar choices as Abram did: to stay in the Babylon of this world, or to leave it. What did Yeshua tell his disciples about the sacrifices that they would need to make to be a follower of YHVH? (See Matt 10:35–39.) At the same time, what did Yeshua say would be the eternal rewards of those, who like our father Abraham, set out in faith for a new spiritual destiny? ( See Matt 19:29.) What physical obstacles stand in your way of fulfilling YHVH’s spiritual calling, mission and destiny for your life?
Genesis 16:1–16, Abraham takes matters into his own hands. The faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful, was tried greatly. After waiting years for a son, he finally gave in to doubt and unbelief. In stead of waiting for YHVH to give him a son, Abraham too matters into his own hands and endeavored to work out YHVH’s plans and purposes in his life through fleshly means. The result was Ishmael, the father of many of the modern Moslem Arabs. What can we learn from this mistake of Abraham?
