Tag Archives: Word of Elohim

A Psalm of Natan: How Love I Thy Word!

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Written Nov. 2017

In this crazy world where everything good and true is being turned on its head—reversed—such that up is now down, evil is now good, white is now black, and most humans are getting caught up and swept along in this tidal wave of psychotic madness, the only place I can find sanity is in the Word of Elohim—the Bible. This psalm is written with these things in my mind.

O how love I Thy Word…

My morning manna it has been,

Since I was a tender sprig.

Early I seek Your face before the sun shows its face.

Each morning your Light ignites my pilot light

Guiding my steps in Your way through my day.

In Your Word I daily cleanse my soul—

Washing my brain in Your river of life.

My filth is purged, my eyes widened to the Light.

A ladder to heaven is Your word

Showing me the upward way,

My heavenly destination it unveils.

 

Without a compass, most are wandering where?

Lured by the sirens’ song into the Dead Sea’s abyss,

To the lake of fire they naively slide,

Blind and giggling as they plummet.

But your Word keeps my foot firm and sure—

My destiny map to the olam haba,

Ascending Jacob’s ladder to Your renewed city from above.

 

Prized possessions?

Each has their lustful heart wrapped around.

Slaving hard to obtain—

A thirst impossible to quench.

But as for me, I grip your Word.

More precious it is to me than much gold!

 

In this ruined garden called the world,

Your Word lifts my eyes above this pallid plane.

Over the ambit I see Your heavenly paradise just ahead.

Joyfully I launch into the outer space of your Word,

I dive into the Bible’s bottomless depths.

Your Word is a universe of sunken treasure awaiting my discovery.

 

Breaststroking through the effluence of this world,

Crawling like a slug, beating the water, arms raising…falling,

I will never surrender.

Though icy fingers pull me down to sheol,

The crystal waters of your word well up,

Warm and icy all at once, they transport me.

Comforting and invigorating to the deepest cell,

I am refreshed and made alive.

Your word makes me buoyant lifting me heavenward like a rocket.

Goodbye world…forever!

 

I Am Thankful for the Bible

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Thank you Yehovah Elohim for Your Word, the Bible and for Yeshua the Messiah, the Living Word of Elohim! I would be lost hopelessly wandering in the bleak wilderness of life pursuing the wind and vanity without your word. Soli Deo gloria!  — Natan

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Ps 119:105)

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You! (Ps 119:9–11)

Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it. (Ps 119:140)

I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure. (Ps 119:162)

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (Joh 17:17)

For the word of Elohim is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of Elohim, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness… (2Tim  3:16)

Bibles from Natan’s old Bibles collection

My oldest Bible: published in 1790. I found this Bible in a state of disrepair in stacks of thousands of books in the basement of a used bookstore in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2008.

 

Genesis chapter one from my 1790 Bible.

 

This is the second oldest Bible in my collection—published in 1875. I rescued this Bible from  a trash heap.

 

The title page of my 1875 Bible.

 

Matthew chapter one from my 1875 Bible.

 

This huge 1882 family Bible was gifted to me several days ago by a client. It had been sitting in their garage for some 20 years. They knew I’d treasure it and they were right. I’ve always wanted a Bible like this.

 

The title page from my 1882 Bible.

 

This 1882 Bible contains many wonderful pieces of artwork including this picture of the wilderness tabernacle.

 

Another picture from the 1882 Bible.

 

 

 

This Bible was published in Germany in 1900 and was brought to America in 1906 by my German emigre great-grand parents.

 

The title page of our family’s 1900 German Bible.

 

 

This was my first Bible that my parents gave to me in about 1964 before I could even read. I would take it to church each Shabbat and pretend I was reading it when listening to the pastor preaching his sermons.

 

Some day, by YHVH’s grace, perhaps I’ll come across a Bible from the 1600s that I can add to my collection.

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. (Ps 119 :97–104)

 

Who and What Are/Is the Living and Written Torah?

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What Is the Purpose of the Torah?

The purpose of the Torah is to show man how to walk in right relationship (or righteousness) with his Creator. It shows us how to love YHVH with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut 6:5; Mark 12:30) and love one’s neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18; Mark 12:30). Once one is saved by grace through faith (see my teaching article on our web site entitled: The Abrahamic Covenant: The Covenant of Salvation), the Torah then helps show man how to walk in the straight and narrow path, which leads to blessings and life and avoidance of curses (Deut. 30:15; 32:47). The Torah shows man how to avoid sin, which is the violation of YHVH’s Torah-commandments (1 John 3:4). Sin is walking contrary to YHVH’s instructions in righteousness, which are for our blessing and benefit.

The Torah does not set an impossible standard by which to live. We must ask ourselves, would a righteous and just Creator and a loving Heavenly Father give to his chosen people a set of standards that were humanly impossible to perform, then curse them for their inability to meet these standards? Of course not. Rather, the Torah sets a standard of faith, trusting in Elohim, and of following its system of repentance and sacrifice for obtaining forgiveness from Elohim and restoring a condition of being considered righteous in his sight. After all, Moses, the human instrument through which YHVH revealed the Torah to the children of Israel, states in Deuteronomy 30:11-14:

For this [Torah] commandment which I command you this day, it is not hidden from you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou should say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that thou may do it.

Paul quotes this very passage in Romans 10:6-8 where he relates the written Torah to Yeshua, the Living Torah or Word of Elohim incarnate (in the flesh, see John 1:1, 14). He shows that the Torah and Yeshua are synonymous and that Messiah Yeshua came to live Continue reading →

 

Building a Foundation Over a Black Hole…

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I received this email today, and decided to share it with you. The writer succinctly expresses one of the main purposes of our ministry.

I also want to say thank you for the opportunity you give others to ask you questions and for all the information you provide!!! In the very beginning when I started to see that scriptures say something else than we were being taught I lost the “foundation” and underneath me was a big black hole. It was a very difficult time. While searching for the truth I found your video on YouTube on the book of romans and ever since I have gotten so much useful and valuable information from Hoshana Rabbah and it has helped me to slowly build up a new ground under my feet – this time a stable one. I just wanted you to know what a huge blessing it is and I thank our Father for it! — From KR

 

My Best Friend Can Be Yours Too

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The Word of Elohim is like a best friend to me. I run to it for answers to all my life’s questions, and for wisdom, understanding and direction for all areas of my life.

The Word of Elohim  is always there for me. Like no human can do, it brings me comfort in times of personal distress. It lights my path in the darkness and confusion of life and guides me forward in uncertain and perilous times. It is my comfort zone and is always faithful to me. It encourages, strengthens and supports me when no human can or will. This is no indictment of humans. It simply is not possible for a human to meet all of one’s personal needs; only the Word of Elohim can do that because its source is divine and behind it stands the Creator of the universe Who is always there, is all-knowing, all-loving and all-powerful. With his Word comes his breath, power and anointing to transform lives. His Word points and leads to Him. Humans, despite their best efforts, will fail you, but the Word of Elohim is a faithful friend that will not let you down.

Put your faith and trust in the Word of Elohim. Join me in getting to know this Friend and enjoy the indescribable blessings that will come from such relationship!

Can anyone else relate to this too?

 

Do you know what “the truth” is from a Hebraic understanding?

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John 17:17, Truth. Yeshua, the One sent to this earth from Elohim in heaven, says here, “Thy [Elohim’s] Word is truth.” In Matthew 4:4, Yeshua said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Elohim.”

So what is truth? The word in Hebrew for truth is emet (spelled aleph, mem, tav), which is comprised of the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Truth embodies everything from the beginning to the very end of YHVH’s Word (literally, his Torah or the first five books of the Bible, and secondarily, the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation).

Interestingly, the Scriptures call Yeshua “the beginning and the end of our faith” (Heb 12:2), and likens him metaphorically to alpha and omega (Rev 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13), which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters corresponds in symbolic meaning to the aleph and tav, which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

In Hebrew thought, truth consists of all of the Word of Elohim from the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet to the last letter. This same idea is picked up by the Jewish apostolic writers of the Testimony of Yeshua and applied to Yeshua who was the Word of Elohim sent to humanity in human form. As the human embodiment of the divine Word of Elohim he was referred to as the alpha and omega, or, in Hebrew thought, the aleph and the tav. We see this idea expressed in John 1:1–5 and 14 where it says of Yeshua,

In the beginning was the Word [Torah], and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. The same was in the beginning with Elohim. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.… And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

 

John 18:38, What is truth?

Pilate asked Messiah Yeshua, the Son of Elohim, a question many inquiring minds have been asking since time immemorial, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). If someone were to ask you this question what would your answer be?

Since the word truth is found some 300 times in the Scriptures it would be safe Continue reading →