Conviction or Commandment Part 2

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 Conviction or Commandment Part 2 Posted on June 17, 2015 by Joel Allen 17 JUN an article by Joel Allen [Mar 7:5-9 KJV]5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for]doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Sometimes traditions can be beautiful and hold great significance and purpose to the believer but they are and NEVER will be commandment. Some traditions can be hurtful and even bring confusion such as those that are obviously Pagan and hold symbolic meaning to other gods. Christianizing or trying to take Pagan holidays and make them holy commanded observances is wrong. At best I believe that taking holidays like Christmas and Easter and making them about Jesus is no different than changing the lyrics to an old rock song to sing to God. Can some people find purpose and meaning in doing that sort of thing? Yes. I believe so. Many come to Christmas Eve services and Easter Sunday services and genuinely give their hearts to the Lord. That, however, does not make it God’s best for His covenant people. Just like that converted rock song that you used to sing about sex and drugs even though the lyrics may have been changed, it carries with it old memories and connections to things that are best left in the past. Some people feel very strongly convicted about keeping Christmas and Easter but remember that these are not God’s commandments. You can find even greater significance and purpose in God’s commanded feasts like Passover and Tabernacles. Unfortunately, these feasts are forgotten by most and replaced with Christian traditional holidays that are not commanded by YHVH. Now this is not an article about feasts so let’s forge on… The question you have to ask yourself is what are the commandments of God and what do they say? Remember that the commandments of God are not grievous or burdensome: [1Jo 5:3 KJV]3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. The moment we begin to add to the commandments and mixing in our personal convictions these commandments can become burdensome and a problem for people. The Torah was always meant to be simple so that the wood cutter and the theologian could both understand and keep His commandments. God made His Laws simple but some religious men have added and turned it into something quite different, making it frustrating for someone to try to walk this path. [Deu 30:11-14 NLT]11 “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. 12 It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ 13 It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ 14 No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. For many in our western culture we are not taught the commandments of YHVH. Many actually believe that church doctrine and things created by the Catholic church are commandments from God Himself and they are surprised when they realize that they are not. Just like Deuteronomy 30 God’s commandments are meant to be simple so you should not have to go to a priest, pastor or rabbi to know what they are (I am not saying that these teachers are bad either). You simply open your bible and read it for yourself. Do your own research. Question everything. Set all tradition and conviction aside for a moment and just read God’s Word for what it plainly says. I had to do this when my wife and I started to question what the Sabbath day was all about. My head was full of convictions and traditions as I had grown up in the Christian church and that Sunday morning perspective was all that I had. Every time I would read a passage of scripture about the Sabbath day and it was very plain and simple yet my head argued against it with traditions of men. Which would prevail? Sometimes convictions and personal judgments need to be made? There are times that the written word of God just doesn’t have a black and white answer to. In these cases I believe that through prayer and discernment you may find direction through the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things. Paul several times in his ministry had to make these judgments such as in 1 Corinthians: [1Co 7:25 KJV]25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. Paul clearly stated that there wasn’t a black and white commandment from God so he gave his personal judgment on the matter, citing his relationship with the Lord as his foundation he rested on. Even in the days of Moses when the man was gathering sticks on the Sabbath day the people did not know what to do so they held the man and waited for God to speak a judgment in that moment: [Num 15:32-34 ESV]32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. I believe that we should strive to keep God’s commandments as often and in as much reverence as we can. I also believe that YHVH gives us freedom within that obedience lifestyle to make judgments, and add personal convictions and traditions as long as it does not replace or negate His laws and ways. Some may say that tradition is adding to the commandments of God which is forbidden in the Torah. Is that really what it says? [Deu 4:2 ESV]2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. If we hold a strict interpretation to this then what is adding to God’s Word? Anything beyond the Torah or maybe anything beyond Deuteronomy 4? What about the rest of the Old Testament like Psalms and the Prophets? Is that adding to the Word? What about the New Testament? It’s interesting that the same warning shows up in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation: [Rev 22:18-19 ESV]18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. So what does adding to the Word mean? I personally believe that it is when we teach convictions or traditions as commandments. The moment we say that we are breaking God’s commandments by breaking the tradition of the church or elders then we are adding to the commandment. It seems like a subtle difference but the implications are very severe. For instance, if we get bent out of shape because someone doesn’t light candles on the Sabbath day and say the traditional blessings and we begin to chastise that person as if they are breaking a commandment we are in fact adding to God’s commandments. Why can’t we just be excited that that person is trying to keep and honor the Sabbath day? This is when the commandments get heavy. This is when they get confusing and impossible to keep. Let’s keep tradition as tradition and commandment as commandment. Let’ s remember that we are to prefer one another not pressure one another. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. This entry was posted in Apostolic Writings, Gospels, Torah and tagged adding to or taking away, conviction or commandment, traditions, traditions of men. JOEL ALLEN Korach | קורח | “Korah “ Chukat | חוקת | “Statute “ RECENT POSTS Recent Posts FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP! Email address: Your email address SIGN UP POPULAR PRODUCTS Joshua to Revelation- Youth Bible Reading Program $12.00 Noach's Math: Multiplication 1 $2.00 On My Way to Learning the Letter Tav $1.00 Hinei Ma Tov Reader (Hebrew with nikkud) $1.00 FREE TORAH PORTION SCHEDULE LOOKING FOR A LOCAL CONGREGATION? JOIN THE CROWD Likes 349 Followers 415 COMPLETE HOMESCHOOL SOLUTION FEASTS OF THE LORD FEAST OF WEEKS- SHAVUOT OR PENTECOST FEAST OF TABERNACLES- SUKKOT DAY OF ATONEMENT- YOM KIPPUR FEAST OF DEDICATION- CHANUKAH FEAST OF TRUMPETS- YOM TERUAH TESHUVAH & THE 10 DAYS OF AWE PASSOVER-PESACH GETTING OUT THE LEAVEN!- UNLEAVENED BREAD DAY OF FIRSTFRUITS (YOM HABIKKURIM) TORAH TEACHINGS WHAT IS BIBLICAL KOSHER? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE SABBATH DAY? WHAT IS THE TORAH? JUST WHEN EXACTLY AM I SAVED? AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH A GRILL? CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 1 CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 2 FIGHTING LIKE CATS & DOGS RECENT ARTICLES: Humility JANUARY 22, 2018 Coffee With Yeshua SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 My Love Story AUGUST 11, 2017 Unexplainable Joy MAY 16, 2017 In The Waiting APRIL 25, 2017 The Fear of the Lord APRIL 24, 2017 For God So Loved… APRIL 16, 2017 LATEST VIDEOS 1/17 Next» By PoseLab Show more videos» Copyright 2018 © Restoring the Way All Rights Reserved | Website Design by CNY Website Design

Conviction and Commandment

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 Conviction or Commandment Part 1 Posted on May 26, 2015 by Joel Allen 26 MAY An article by Joel Allen One of the biggest subjects I deal with as a Pastor is over the confusion of conviction or commandment. What do I mean by that you may ask? Well there are times that certain people feel really strongly about certain things, even things concerning faith and their interpretation of the Bible. For example; Someone may feel strongly that television should not be allowed in the home, due to rank commercials and shows that could portray violence, bad language, or sexual material. However another person may feel strongly that television is ok as long as safeguards are put in place to limit the exposure to the afore mentioned things. Who is right? Which of these people mentioned are breaking commandments of God? Is there a scripture in the Bible that states, “thou shalt not watch TV?” How do we make judgments about what we allow in our homes? Is this a conviction or a commandment of God? Situations like these fall into a category I like to call convictions. There is nothing wrong with convictions. I have strong convictions for myself and my household as well. We as a family do not listen to secular or worldly music and in fact we only listen to Christian or Messianic Worship songs. Some other families we know do not have televisions in their home. Some do not allow internet access. Other common convictions I have encountered are: How to keep the Sabbath day holy- Some people light candles and say blessings to open the Shabbat but some do not. How to keep Feast Days- Aside from what the Bible plainly says about them, every family has different traditions and special things they like to do. How to pray- Again besides some guidelines seen in the Bible we have no commandment as to how to pray only that we should pray. How to worship God- We have some examples of worship and guidelines in the Bible but people worship God in different ways. Some like to dance, some play instruments, and yet there are so many ways to show your worship to God. The use of doctors & medicine- Some people are on medications while others feel using doctors and medications are not the best course of action. Being involved in politics & government- Some believe strongly that politics & government involvement is evil and we should not get involved while others feel just as strongly that it is our duty as believers to be active and vote and strive to better our communities. Being involved in the military- Again strong feelings on both sides of the fence. Whose right and whose wrong? Which opinion will God stand by? Well the fact of the matter is that it is these things that we fight about the most. The problem comes when one family has a strong conviction about something but another family may not and so a fight ensues throwing scriptures back and forth trying to sway the other family to their point of view. Sometimes good friends separate as a result of not agreeing about convictions. Should this be? If we can’t find the commandment in black and white should we be fighting and breaking off relationships? For instance is it really that important how you keep the Sabbath day holy or that you are actually trying to guard and cherish it? Now that being said, commandment is commandment. Period. Keeping the Sabbath day holy and not profaning it, is not a conviction but a commandment. Commandment is something that we have to stand by no matter what. It is concrete and without compromise but convictions can change and that’s okay. I have had strong convictions about certain things and after a few years those convictions didn’t matter as much. Sin is the breaking of God’s commandments not breaking your personal convictions. [1Jo 3:4 KJV] 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Our convictions may be good and beneficial to us but they are not the definition for sin so why do we treat people as though they are sinning when they don’t agree with your conviction? Our diet is another area of contention as there are convictions galore about what is kosher and what is not. Some people spend more time reading labels than reading God’s word; more time worrying about physical diet than spiritual welfare. Should we eat organic non-GMO foods only? What about the person who can’t afford organic non-GMO foods? Even though it may be a healthier choice doesn’t make it commandment! So all of the disgusted looks to make that less fortunate person who can’t afford that healthy choice leave that person feeling dirty and almost like they are displeasing God. Remember a dispute that Yeshua and His disciples had with the Pharisees about eating with unwashed hands. This was a strong conviction by them that they were passionate about but they crossed the line when they accused Yeshua and His disciples as sinning. This was crossing the line making their conviction into God’s commandments. [Mar 7:5-9 KJV] 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Let me make this very clear! I am not saying that tradition or even personal convictions are bad or evil. The problem comes when people, like the Scribes and Pharisees, begin treating their own traditions and convictions as “thus sayeth the Lord.” And worse yet you reject your fellow brother over this conviction while breaking the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. By this you are holding onto your conviction (even if it is a good habit or beneficial to you) while breaking God’s commandments. In Mark 7 the Greek word used for tradition is παράδοσις paradosis and this word is also used in Colossians 2:8 [Col 2:8 KJV] 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Not only did Yeshua spend a large portion of His ministry disputing people over convictions but the Apostle Paul (Shaul) also spent a large part of his ministry as well. In Romans 14 we read about a dispute between groups of people fighting about whether it was God’s will for us to eat only vegetables or meat as well. It’s funny how this chapter is used quite often to say that Paul advocated the eating of any kinds of meats including that which the Bible commands as unclean. This is not an argument about eating clean or unclean meats but about vegetarian diets versus eating clean meats. This was a struggle over convictions and not commandments. Paul also addresses conviction issues over special holidays or days revered over another. Clearly, as we can see throughout the entirety of the scripture that Paul is not advocating that it doesn’t matter what day the Sabbath is. He is addressing convictions about other national holidays or cultural holidays. For instance in the United States we celebrate the 4th of July as Independence Day while others may not celebrate. Since it is only a national holiday it is not commandment to keep or not to keep. Israel has many days that fit this description and although we are grafted in to the commonwealth of Israel we are not obligated by God to celebrate special days like Yom Hashoah or Tu B’shevat, or the fast days mentioned in Zechariah 7:5-6. • The fast of the fourth month- remembering the destruction of the wall in Jerusalem • The fast of the fifth month- remembering the burning of the great temple in Jerusalem • The fast of the seventh month- remembering the killing of Gedaliah that sent them into exile into the nations • The fast of the tenth month- remembering the siege of Jerusalem If you feel you want to celebrate these days, GREAT! But don’t make others feel like they are less holy or somehow breaking God’s commandments if they don’t share your enthusiasm. Listen to Paul’s arguments and frustration: I am convinced that the reason YHVH made the Biblical Feasts shadows is that there is only an outline in a shadow and no detail. Think about it, have you ever seen details in a shadow? So we can’t judge one another as to the details but that we stay in that shadow outline. I believe this is what Paul the Apostle was getting at in Colossians: [Col 2:16-17 KJV] 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ. One thing is for sure though, we should be in the shadow of the Messiah. We should walk just as He walked by keeping the Sabbath day, the Feasts of the Lord, and keeping the Biblical diet. We also must remember that Yeshua is the substance and the details. In Him we breath and move and have our being. He is the Lord of the Sabbath . A large portion of His ministry on Earth was defending what He was doing on the Sabbath day and why He did not honor certain customs or convictions that the religious elite followed during that time. We have the same issues today and it consumes a large portion of the ministry time and effort. Ok I am going to have to close this article today so next week look out for the Part 2 of Conviction or Commandment. May YHVH’s wisdom guide you through these difficult subjects. This entry was posted in Apostolic Writings, Gospels, Torah and tagged conviction or commandment, keeping traditions as commandments, part 1, personal convictions, traditions of men. JOEL ALLEN Nasso | נשא | “Take up “ Parsha Nasso: Homeschool Helps RECENT POSTS Recent Posts FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP! Email address: Your email address SIGN UP POPULAR PRODUCTS Joshua to Revelation- Youth Bible Reading Program $12.00 Noach's Math: Multiplication 1 $2.00 On My Way to Learning the Letter Tav $1.00 Hinei Ma Tov Reader (Hebrew with nikkud) $1.00 FREE TORAH PORTION SCHEDULE LOOKING FOR A LOCAL CONGREGATION? JOIN THE CROWD Likes 349 Followers 415 COMPLETE HOMESCHOOL SOLUTION FEASTS OF THE LORD FEAST OF WEEKS- SHAVUOT OR PENTECOST FEAST OF TABERNACLES- SUKKOT DAY OF ATONEMENT- YOM KIPPUR FEAST OF DEDICATION- CHANUKAH FEAST OF TRUMPETS- YOM TERUAH TESHUVAH & THE 10 DAYS OF AWE PASSOVER-PESACH GETTING OUT THE LEAVEN!- UNLEAVENED BREAD DAY OF FIRSTFRUITS (YOM HABIKKURIM) TORAH TEACHINGS WHAT IS BIBLICAL KOSHER? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE SABBATH DAY? WHAT IS THE TORAH? JUST WHEN EXACTLY AM I SAVED? AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH A GRILL? CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 1 CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 2 FIGHTING LIKE CATS & DOGS RECENT ARTICLES: Humility JANUARY 22, 2018 Coffee With Yeshua SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 My Love Story AUGUST 11, 2017 Unexplainable Joy MAY 16, 2017 In The Waiting APRIL 25, 2017 The Fear of the Lord APRIL 24, 2017 For God So Loved… APRIL 16, 2017 LATEST VIDEOS 1/17 Next» By PoseLab Show more videos» Copyright 2018 © Restoring the Way All Rights Reserved | Website Design by CNY Website Design

What does the Bible say about the Shabbath day?

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 What does the Bible say about the Sabbath day? Posted on February 24, 2015 by Joel Allen 24 FEB What is the Sabbath? Sabbath is the Hebrew word SHABBATH which is a holy rest day unto Yahweh. It is the seventh day of every week (Gen. 2:2-3, Exo. 16:23-29) as well as the seven festivals of Yahweh (Lev. 23). The Sabbath began with Yahweh in Genesis 2:2-3 ending his work of creating the earth and the heavens and resting on the seventh day. The Sabbath was observed and kept by every believer that desired to please Yahweh and keep His commandments from Adam to Moses, all of the Kings and Prophets, the Messiah and His disciples. So integral was this day that Yahweh included this as the fourth of the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai (Exo. 20:8). There are three things that Yahweh commands to do on the weekly seventh day Sabbath: 1. We are commanded to rest (Exo. 23:12) 2. We are commanded to keep this day Holy (Exo. 20:8, Deu. 5:12) 3. We are commanded to have a Holy convocation or calling together of likeminded believers (Lev. 23:3) There are five things that Yahweh commands us not to do on the weekly seventh day Sabbath: 1. Do no customary or servile work/ for you and your animals and servants (Exo. 31:14, Exo. 35:2, Deu. 5:14) 2. Do not bake or boil (Exo. 16:23) 3. Do not kindle a fire in your home (Exo. 35:3) 4. Do not take a long journey outside of your place (home, community, etc.)(Exo. 16:29) 5. Do not buy or sell (Neh. 10:31, Neh. 13:15-19) Common arguments against the Seventh day Sabbath: 1. Jesus was the Lord of the Sabbath so we no longer have to keep the Sabbath. 2. The Sabbath is for the Jews only. 3. The Sabbath can be any day of the week as long as you rest one day out of seven. 4. Since Jesus died on the cross those that believe in Him will have rest in Him all of the time. 5. Keeping the Sabbath is part of the Law and therefore if you say that I have to observe it on the seventh day then it is legalism and bondage because we (the church) are under grace. 6. The Sabbath is now on Sunday and that is the “Lord’s Day” when I go to church. 7. The early apostles and believers of the Messiah met on the first day of the week and that shows us that they were not strict on meeting on the seventh day sabbath and therefore we can pick whatever day we want, to have a convocation or church gathering. 8. Since Jesus arose on the first day of the week (Sunday morning) then we gather in celebration of his resurrection on Sunday morning and not the seventh day Sabbath. Facts about the Seventh day Sabbath: 1. Jesus was the Lord of the Sabbath so we no longer have to keep the Sabbath. This is really a ridiculous statement. If Yeshua (Jesus) came to destroy or do away with the Sabbath along with the rest of the Law then what is He the Lord of? NOTHING!? This term Lord of the Sabbath is mentioned in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In context he is speaking against the Pharisees that believed that the disciples were breaking the Sabbath by plucking off the heads of corn in the fields and somehow breaking Torah law as a result. Yeshua rebukes the Pharisees and reminds them that the Sabbath was created for man and not the reverse. Was the Sabbath something that was under the control of the Pharisees or was it the Lord’s Sabbath after all. Look at the corresponding verses in the Torah(First five books of the Bible): (Exo. 16:29) “See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath…” (Exo. 20:10) “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:” By telling the Pharisees that He was the Lord of the Sabbath He was simply reminding them that He was the Lord that gave them the Sabbath and to not try to make it a man made set of do’s and don’ts. This was not some strange admission that somehow revoked the seventh day observance or fourth commandment set into motion from the beginning of creation. How could the Messiah admit this? He was there at creation and at Mount Sinai when the Sabbath was instituted and reconfirmed to His covenant people.  2. Is the Sabbath just for the Jews? This is a very simple question to answer. (Gen. 2:2-3) “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Here we can clearly see that the Sabbath was created and instituted by Yahweh Himself and for all of creation and not some man-made observance of the Jews. (Exo. 20:10) “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: (Not the Sabbath of the Jews) in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (Gentiles or Non-Jews)” You mean that the Sabbath was also meant for the Gentiles/Nations or Non-Jews as well? (Isa. 56:6-7) “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD,(Gentiles/Nations/Non-Jews) to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath (that means EVERYONE) from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;(7) Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Gentiles, grab hold of His covenant and keep the Sabbath!  3. The Sabbath can be any day of the week as long as you rest one day out of seven. The problem with this argument is that you have to show that scripture supports one of two conclusions as to what the Sabbath is really signifying. Is it that the Sabbath is about a day, specifically the seventh day of the week; or is it really about the rest and not the day in which you rest. Fortunately, scriptures are very clear on what the conclusion must be and really does not leave a whole lot of room for interpretation. (Gen 2:2-3) “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.(3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Yahweh blessed and sanctified what??? Those that claim to keep a Sabbath one day out of seven would like this scripture to read… “and God blessed a time of rest within the seven days of His work and sanctified the rest.” It just doesn’t say that does it?! Well, perhaps we are just reading this incorrectly. Let’s look at other scriptures that support this as well…(Exo. 16:29) “See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” Yahweh is very specific in His instructions to the Israelites as they gathered His provided Mannah or bread. Six days they will gather the bread and on the sixth day they will gather enough for two days so that they can rest and stay in their tents on the seventh day so that the weekly Sabbath or seventh day would be sanctified or set apart as Holy. Again is the emphasis on the rest or the day in which you are supposed to rest? (Exo. 20:8) “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Now this is the fourth commandment of the ten commandments of Yahweh Himself. Does He say remember the Sabbath rest or does He say remember the Sabbath day? He says remember the Sabbath DAY because He knew it would be forgotten or treated as any other day (the definition of profane is to make ordinary or plain) and reinforces it by saying to KEEP IT (THE DAY) HOLY (or set apart as special and not ordinary). This is certainly speaking of a specific seventh day Sabbath and not some haphazard day of the week to rest.  4. Since Jesus died on the cross those that believe in Him will have rest in Him all of the time. This definition or use of the Sabbath is very complex and almost mystical in nature. One would really have to twist a lot of scripture to make this explanation make sense at all. I will try my best: OK, the Pharisees (erroneously looked at as representing ALL of Israel) had a “works mentality” and placed burdens on people using the Law of Moses to put people into bondage because after all it is impossible to keep the Law of Moses, right? Jesus came to do away with this binding Law and said stuff like, “take my burden because it is easy and light,” and after all He did break the Sabbath on many occasions to prove that it was bondage and when He died on the cross this bondage of the Law was nailed to the cross and crucified with Him. Now those that believe in Him don’t have to keep a literal seventh day Sabbath but will find rest in Jesus all of the time if and only if you truly have enough faith in Him. Does this sound familiar? The problem with this explanation is that Jesus or I like to refer to His Hebrew name, Yeshua, did not come to do away with the Law of Moses but He came by His own admission to fulfill or fill it up full of meaning (Matt. 5:17-19). The Pharisees and Sadducees were sects of Judaism that did not follow the Law of Moses but added thousands of man-made rules and laws to the Law of Moses to make it impossible to keep. Yeshua even rebukes these Pharisees saying that they do not even follow their own laws. Furthermore, Yeshua goes out of His way in many instances to break these added commandments of men and to bring true clarity to the commandments of Yahweh just as He spoke them on Mount Sinai. For example; Yeshua heals a blind man by making a mud salve to cover a blind man’s eyes. This was breaking an added commandment and not the Law of Moses. Yeshua also tells the crippled man to take up his bed (a thin mat, easily rolled up and carried under the arm) and walk, again breaking an added Law. You will find that Yeshua is adamant on showing that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath and to bring clarity and truth to a confused and burdened people. The “rest” He brought was leading people away from man-made religious systems and back to the Torah or Law of Yahweh as it was originally given. The other problem with this is that Yeshua and His disciples kept the seventh day Sabbath (Mar. 1:21, Mar 6:2, Luk 4:16, Luk 4:31, Luk 6:6, Luk 13:10) as was done by all of Israel and even after His death and resurrection the apostles still kept the seventh day Sabbath (Act. 13:14, Act. 13:42, 13:44, Act. 15:21, Act. 16:13, Act. 18:4, Col. 2:16). Remember that one of the commandments to do on the seventh day Sabbath is to “convocate” or call together the community of like-minded believers. The Jews have always done this by gathering every Sabbath in what was called Synagogues to read portions of the Torah scroll and teach the Law of Moses. Why would they do this if they had rest every day of the week? Didn’t they have enough faith or were they living under the “Great Old Testament Bondage?” Read all of the accounts in the New Testament of what transpired on the Sabbath. You will find miracles, healings, visitations of Angels, the spoken voice of Yahweh, many gentiles repenting, the word of Yahweh taught and demonstrated in power and authority, and powerful acts of kindness and charity. I do not see a day of bondage and legalism, do you? 5. Keeping the Sabbath is part of the Law and therefore if you say that I have to observe it on the seventh day then it is legalism and bondage because we (the church) are under grace. Grace. What is grace and does it mean that it gives someone a license to commit sin or break the commandments of Yahweh? Do you believe that the Ten Commandments are still valid today after the redemptive work of the Messiah or do you believe that these commandments are outdated or somehow governed in a different way today? I am certain that most people in the Christian church would agree that murder is still breaking the commandments of Yahweh. Even bearing false witness or committing adultery would still stand as unacceptable in the Christian’s walk and breaking the commandments of Yahweh. These are all listed as parts of the Ten Commandments but the moment you say that the seventh day Sabbath (the 4th commandment) is something to remember and keep as Holy you will be viewed as a heretic and under “legalism.” If grace came through the Messiah does it allow a murderer or adulterer to break Yahweh’s commandments? The obvious answer is NO! Then why should grace allow the followers of the Messiah to profane (or make ordinary) the seventh day Sabbath? Did you know that the Hebrew word for grace is used staggeringly more in the Old Testament than the Greek equivalent in the New Testament. Did grace only come through the Messiah or has Yahweh always given His people many chances to repent and get back on track before impending judgment? I think that the main confusion comes from a passage of scripture found in Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Again this is a case of taking a small set of verses and pulling together doctrine that does not uphold the true context of what Shaul (Paul) was saying. Look at the whole chapter and you will very easily find that Shaul was equating “the law” with sin and death. He was not talking about the Law of God (Torah). Therefore it makes sense that we are not UNDER THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH but UNDER GRACE because of the atoning work of the Messiah. Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ” The Lamb of God did not lay down His life for believers to be FREE from the Law of God but from the law of sin and death. 6. The Sabbath is now on Sunday and that is the “Lord’s Day” when I go to church. Oh yes, the “Lord’s Day.” Where did this term come from? It comes from one verse in the Book of Revelation. (Rev. 1:10) “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” This is John (Yochanan was his Hebrew name), a Jewish apostle who was in a time of tribulation on the Island of Patmos. He was dipped in burning oil, beaten and imprisoned for life because of sharing the Gospel of Yeshua. He was praying while in exile and a vision comes to him that shows him the events that would unfold to bring about the Great Tribulation on the whole Earth and the return of the Messiah for His faithful bride. The entire scriptures do not speak of the “Lord’s Day” as being Sunday observance of the Sabbath but speak of the Day of the Lord (Act. 2:20, ICor. 1:8, ICor. 5:5, etc.) when He comes to bring judgment on the whole Earth and the resurrection of the dead in Messiah. An understanding of the Day of the Lord is needed in order to comprehend what Yochanan was referring to. The answer can be read in the writings of Simon Keefa (Peter). (IPet. 3:8) “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” In the book of Genesis we read that all of creation was created in 6 days and on the seventh day Yahweh rested and ceased from all of His work. If a day to Yahweh is a thousand years then that would make the total plan of Yahweh to be 7,000 years or 7 days. Theologians and Bible scholars agree that the Messiah came around 4,000 years from creation and we are already in the 7th day or 7th millennium. This is the time that the end is prophesied and the Messiah will come making an end to iniquity in one day (1,000 years) and to setup His kingdom to rule and reign for 1,000 years in the New Jerusalem. Yochanan saw this in his vision and penned down this vision in the Book of the Revelation of the Messiah and alluded to this seventh day mystery by mentioning that he was on the Lord’s Day or Day of the Lord. This is not somehow a changing of the Sabbath from the seventh day Saturday to the first day Sunday! Not even close! So how did this seventh day Sabbath get twisted into a first day Sunday observance? The answer may shock you! It was changed solely on the authority of the Catholic Papacy and reinforced in many writings. The Catholic priest, Father T. Enright, C. SS.R. of Redemptor Col¬lege, quotes in The American Sentinel as follows: “I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to any one who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the Holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says: “Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.” The Catholic Church says: “No by my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day, and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.” And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic church.” James Cardinal Gibbons declared: “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day that we (Catholics) never sanctify.” Not only does the Catholic Church not sanctify the seventh day Sabbath as instructed in the scriptures but the Protestant church (Protesting Catholics) also do not sanctify this day and continue to hold onto a first day observance that is riddled with Pagan influences of Sun God worship instituted by Constantine in the Roman Empire; thus the name Sun-Day after the day declared by Constantine under penalty of torture and death to worship Mithras, the Roman god of the sun. Why hold on to this Pagan tradition reinforced by the Catholic Church? What is so dreadful about keeping the day scripture declares as Holy?!  7. The early apostles and believers of the Messiah met on the first day of the week and that shows us that they were not strict on meeting on the seventh day sabbath and therefore we can pick whatever day we want, to have a convocation or church gathering. In Acts chapter 20:7 there is a recorded passage that seems to read that the disciples, after the resurrection of the Messiah, came together on the first day of the week and Shaul (Paul) preached unto them until midnight. This is one of the key versus that is used to try to twist and produce precedence for a first day gathering or Sunday worship. First let’s take a look at the proceeding verse and get some context as to what is happening: Acts 20:6 “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.” Now first of all these were Jewish apostles and believers in the Messiah. The Messiah clearly did not teach them to cease from keeping the feasts, like Unleavened Bread, or the seventh day Sabbath. Shaul abides for seven days before he leaves again. Well what day does he leave again? Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” Shaul and his companions celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in Philippi and then sail to Troas where they stay until the seventh day or Sabbath. Why does it say the first day of the week if it was the Sabbath? In the Greek compilation where our English translation is from (Stephen’s Textus Receptus) the Greek word Sabbaton is used where it says, the “first day of the week.” So the original text reads, “And upon the Sabbath day, when the disciples came together to break bread…” It does not say the first day of the week at all. This is either a mistranslation of the scriptures or a blatant cover-up to erase the significance of the seventh day Sabbath in the New Testament. These followers of the Messiah were gathering on the Sabbath at what is traditionally called a Hav Dilah service, where Shaul preached until midnight and was going to make his journey from Troas early in the morning. The Jewish disciples of the Messiah kept the feasts of Yahweh such as Unleavened Bread and also kept the seventh day Sabbath holy just as they had done for thousands of years prior. 8. Since Jesus arose on the first day of the week (Sunday morning) then we gather in celebration of his resurrection on Sunday morning and not the seventh day Sabbath. Did Yeshua rise from the dead on Sunday morning as has been taught for decades in the church? This is a basic mathematical solution that somehow escapes the attention of those reading and teaching from the Gospel records. If he indeed was crucified on “Good Friday” and arose on Sunday morning how can He line up with the only sign that He gave to testify of his resurrection. Matt. 12:39-40 “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” How can you get 3 days and 3 nights from Friday to Sunday morning? YOU CAN’T! Careful study will show that the Messiah was taken on a Tuesday evening, the day before the 14th of Aviv (Pesach or Passover) and was beaten and questioned and finally hung on the tree in the afternoon of the 14th (Wednesday) and was dead and in the grave by 4pm on the same day. Now let’s pause for a minute to lay a foundation of how the Hebrews reckon time. The next day starts at sundown and ends the following sundown as outlined in Genesis chapter 1. So Wednesday afternoon to sundown is a ½ day, Wednesday sundown to Thursday sundown is 1 day. Thursday sundown to Friday sundown is another day and Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is yet another day. This totals 3 days and 3 nights just like the Prophet Jonah in the belly of the great fish. So what about Mary coming to the tomb early on Sunday morning? Notice that the tomb was empty (Matt. 28:1). The Messiah had already risen as was the words of the Angel that greeted her. The Lord of the Sabbath arose on the Sabbath just as the scriptures convey. <

What is TORAH?

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 What is the Torah? Posted on February 22, 2015 by Joel Allen 22 FEB What is the Torah? The Torah is called the Pentateuch or the books of Moses and includes the first 5 books of the bible. Collectively, they could be and have been called the books of Moses or Moses. For instance, Yeshua (aka Jesus) responded to the scribes and Pharisees that questioned him, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me,” in John 5:46 Despite popular Christian teaching the word Torah does not mean, “Law.” Torah is Hebrew for “Instructions” but has been erroneously translated as “LAW” in English bibles. Although the Torah does contain laws and ordinances it cannot be summed up as a legal document rendering legal judgments. The Torah is not a set of do’s and don’ts but rather the loving instructions of a father to his children. To the Jewish Sages the Torah is the highest level of scripture followed by the Prophets (Nevi’im) and the other writings (Ketuvim). Collectively the Jewish scriptures are called the TaNaKh. It is a Jewish acronym: T= Torah (instructions/Moses) N= Nevi’im (Prophets) K= Ketuvim (The other writings) The Torah was always an oral instruction until Moses penned it down sometime between 1280 -1441BCE. Some believe that the Torah was instituted and began at Mount Sinai but there are those that believe that the Torah always existed and was the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. There are actually a lot of scriptural evidences that point out that the Torah always existed and will always exist in one form or the other. Let’s take a look at some references to this point pointing to the Torah existing before Mount Sinai: 1. Gen. 3:3,17 “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:” Here we have an establishment of a commandment (a food law) in the Garden, breaking of the commandment and the subsequent consequence of breaking the commandment- a curse or death. 2. Gen. 4:8 “…Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” This was murder and was forbidden according to Torah Law so there was a punishment for breaking the Law in Gen. 4:14 “Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.” This punishment is separation from God and death by anyone that finds him. According to the Torah a murderer is to be stoned to death except those that find refuge in what is called a “city of refuge.” Cain plead with God about his sentence and a “refuge” was created for him…”…Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.” Num. 25:35 “ And the congregation shall deliver the slayer (suspect of murder) out of the hand of the revenger of blood (those that want revenge), and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest…” 3. How many of the different animals went into the ark made by Noah? If you said 2 of each kind you are wrong. Well, partially wrong. Gen. 7:2 “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two…” Again we see that clean and unclean were important to God prior to the giving of the written instruction at Mount Sinai. You can read more about kosher eating in Lev. 7. And by the way, that Sunday school picture of all animals entering two by two was sadly inaccurate. Later after the flood you will find Noah building an altar and sacrificing some of the clean animals in worship and thanks to God.(Gen. 8:20) 4. Abraham was righteous and faithful. Listen to what God says about him: Gen 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 5. Lot the nephew of Abraham was saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The evening before he and his family were delivered from the city by the angels Lot provided a feast of unleavened bread (Passover) just like what was instructed by Yahweh to the children of Israel the evening before they fled Egypt. Gen. 19:3 “…he (Lot) made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.” Also in Exod. 12:8 “And they (Israel) shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread;” Now let’s look at scriptural evidences that the Torah will always exist: 1. Matthew 5:17-19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law (Torah), or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil (fill up full of meaning). For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law (Torah), till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Yeshua (aka Jesus) did not replace, make void or annul even the least of the commandments of Torah. In fact he states that the Torah will continue as long as there is a heaven and an earth. 2. Rev. 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Yeshua Messiah.” This is a point in the future when the Beast will wage war against the chosen people of God. Again this is a group that “keeps the commandments of God,” and have the testimony of Yeshua. 3. Once the war with HaSatan (Satan) is over and there is healing to the earth and the New Jerusalem is established then we see a clear picture in scripture of the Kingdom of God on the earth and the Torah still in full effect and being taught by the Messiah King himself. Isaiah 2:3 “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he (Yeshua) will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law (Torah), and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Rev. 22:2 “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life (Torah), which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” 4. The feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) will be celebrated in the New Jerusalem. Zech. 4:16 “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.” The feast of Tabernacles is in the Torah and can be read in Lev. 23. According to Jewish sages there are 4 levels of understanding or revelation in the Torah: 1. Peshat- The literal reading or face value of the text 2. Remez- The hinted or alluded meanings of the text 3. D’Rash- homiletical or exegetical application to the text 4. Sod- ‘secret’ or mystical meaning hidden in the text (e.g., Gematria) For the people of Israel the Torah is life instruction that was passed down orally from generation to generation until penned down by Moses and the very finger of Yahweh. This emphasis of teaching the commandments of God to the children was revitalized by the words of Yahweh in Deut. 6:6-7 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” The Kings of Israel were also required by Torah Law to write their own copy of the Torah in its entirety: Deut. 17:18 “And it shall be, when he (the king) sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:” The Levites were in charge of keeping the Torah and teaching the commandments of God as well as the altar service and various temple duties. After the captivity of Judah into Babylon around 538 BCE and the destruction of Jerusalem Babylon was taken over by the Persians. The Persian King Cyrus allowed the Jews (around 40,000) to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city. In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah there is a detailed account of the Jewish return. It is at this time that Ezra the scribe begins the public reading of the Torah and teaching to the Jewish exiles. Neh. 8:1-9 “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street…they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women…And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people…and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands…So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand (teaching) the reading.” It is after this time that that the tradition of reading the Torah every Sabbath day began. The Jews took the entire Torah and broke them up into weekly portions, called Parsha or parasha in Hebrew so that the people could read or hear the Torah being read in its entirety throughout the span of one year or three years pending on cycle they chose to follow. The public reading of the Torah Parsha were primarily done in places of worship called Synagogues and they can be seen as early as the days of King David (Psa. 74:8) and throughout the New Testament. The books of the Prophets and other writings were also broke up into weekly portions and read every Sabbath day. In the days of Yeshua we can read many accounts of Yeshua teaching and miracles being performed in the Synagogues on the Sabbath day. One account in particular opens one’s eyes to the history of what was going on as well as the integral part that the Messiah played in this weekly practice. Luke 4:16-20 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias (Isaiah). And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.” This is what the Jewish people had done for hundreds of years before and throughout the ministries of the Messianic Jewish Apostles and still today in orthodox and messianic synagogues some 2,000 years later. The messianic synagogues add a third reading called the Brit Chadasha or Renewed Covenant (New Testament). Was the Torah explicitly just for the Jewish people or were the Gentiles (those of other nations) that were coming to faith in Yeshua as their Messiah expected to adhere to the same commandments of God? This was something that the early Jewish believers such as Paul, Peter, John and James also had to figure out. It wasn’t that they did not know the answer. The problem was that the Torah was so vast and hard to understand and grasp immediately for the new gentile believers, who did not grow up with the commandments being heard continuously, that they wanted to have a starting point for new believers that was easy to grasp quickly. The rest of the information they would soak up by hearing it read and taught every week in the synagogues. You have to understand that these were Greeks and those of other nations with religious beliefs rooted in idolatry, paganism, Hellenism, and philosophies much in contrast with the character of the God of Israel. After a council about this matter in Jerusalem they all agreed that to start new believers were to be given three commandments and the rest they would pick up over time by hearing Moses read in the Synagogues every sabbath. Letters were then dispatched to the messianic believers and teachers and it is found in Acts 15. James the brother of Yeshua makes this declaration: Acts 15:19-21 “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” Here we have three things that are imperative for a New Testament believer whether they are of Jewish descent or one of another nation. These three laws are referred by Torah teachers as “The Heart of The Law” and can be read in Lev. 17,18,19. 1. “abstain from pollutions of idols”- This is idolatry and one could not even enter the assembly of the Jews if you were involved with such practices. This was a big issue among the gentile nations. 2. “fornication”- This was also a problem among the gentile nations. This would involve incest, orgies, rape, molestation, beastiality, and all kinds of horrific practices. 3. “things strangled, and from blood”- This may sound like two separate things but they are one. This is eating Kosher. Those animals deemed unclean for consumption were considered blood when eating them. The prescribed method of killing a pig for consumption in the days of Acts was by strangulation. Abraham wasn’t Jewish and he kept the law. Abraham came from the land of the Chaldeans and was considered the first Hebrew (one that crossed over). Noah was before Abraham and knew which animals were considered clean and unclean and how to sacrifice before the Lord and he wasn’t Jewish. This concept of the commandments of God only pertaining to the Jews is ludicrous and there are no scriptural evidences that point to this false conclusion. The concept of the Torah being for all people is spoken right from the mouth of Yahweh himself: Exod. 12:19 “…for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.” Exod. 12:49 “One law (Torah) shall be to him that is homeborn (Israel/Jew), and unto the stranger (gentile) that sojourneth among you.” Lev. 17:2 “Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.” Lev. 24:22 “Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.” Secrets in the Torah: Concerning the sod level of study and understanding of the Torah, there is something referred to by Jewish Sages as Gematria. Gematria is the study of numbers in relation to the Hebrew Aleph Bet used in the original Torah text. After the invention of modern day computer programs there has been many startling discoveries that have astonished the academic world and opened up the possibilities of hidden messages within the Torah. One theory is called ELS or Equidistant Letter Sequences. This theory is based on a set pattern of counting letters and selecting a letter within the numbered sequence. For example, a discovery of the Torah ELS showed that every 50th letter in Genesis, from left to right, the ELS repeatedly spells “TORAH, TORAH, TORAH. There is the same sequence in Exodus. Every 49th letter from right to left in Deuteronomy and every 50th in Numbers say Torah backwards. All of these books are pointing to the central book of Leviticus which has an ELS every 7th letter, producing, “YHWH, YHWH, YHWH,” the sacred name of God. Some scientists and Bible scholars see this as the divine authorship of the Torah and yet others would see it as a controlled coincidence. You can be the judge. Conclusion: The Torah is the instructions of God to his people in how to live a righteous and full life. It is not a mere set of do’s and don’ts. The Torah was an oral instruction past down from one righteous generation to another until finally penned down by Moses at Mount Sinai. The Torah always was and will always be and will be the code of conduct in the Messianic era. By this Torah the nations will be judged and ruled by the Messiah. The Torah was central in all teachings of the New Testament including the letters of Shaul (Paul) and Simon Keefa (Simon Peter). The Messiah nor his disciples and apostles advocated the removal or diminishing of the Torah. In fact, they upheld its importance in the believer’s life. Today we should not say that the Torah was done away with at the cross. Nor should we compartmentalize it and say it is only for the Jews. This is a mistake and the Christian world needs to re-examine their position on this matter. We are all One in the Messiah. We are One family in One House with One Father and One law or set of instructions. This entry was posted in Torah and tagged 5 books of moses, Beshalach torah portion, five books of torah, law of moses, torah, what is the torah?. JOEL ALLEN LIFE in Him What is Biblical Kosher? RECENT POSTS Recent Posts FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP! Email address: Your email address SIGN UP POPULAR PRODUCTS Joshua to Revelation- Youth Bible Reading Program $12.00 Noach's Math: Multiplication 1 $2.00 On My Way to Learning the Letter Tav $1.00 Hinei Ma Tov Reader (Hebrew with nikkud) $1.00 FREE TORAH PORTION SCHEDULE LOOKING FOR A LOCAL CONGREGATION? 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What is Biblical Kosher ?

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 What is Biblical Kosher? Posted on February 22, 2015 by Joel Allen 22 FEB What is Biblical Kosher? Biblical Kosher is defined by the Scriptures in the Torah (First five books of the Bible) and not by a set of traditions or man-made rules. Specifically, the parameters for Kosher are outlined in Leviticus 11:46-47 “This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.” The Hebrew word for “clean” is not Kosher. The Hebrew word for clean is tahowr which simply means pure or has gone through a process of purification. Just because an animal is considered “clean” doesn’t make it proper food for consumption. In other words, a cow standing in the field is not “clean” until it is properly slaughtered and the blood drained from the meat before cooking and eating. There is a process of purification that happens in the life cycle of the “clean” animal from slaughter (death) to a proper and fit meal or offering. Tahowr or clean is the opposite of tame’ or unclean which simply means impure or defiled. So what does the term kosher mean and where did it come from? Kosher is derived from the Hebrew word “kasher,” which means “proper” or “pure” and has the same base definition as tahowr. How do I know if foods from the store that I buy are kosher or not? Food products distributed to grocery stores come from manufacturers who will either adhere to the strict demands of kosher preparation of the foods or they will not. In order to be certified kosher a facility cannot prepare or package unclean products with the same machinery as is used for clean foods. This would make the clean foods unclean according to scripture. “And everything whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.” (Lev. 11:35) If companies adhere to this principle and are monitored by kosher Rabbis then they put a symbol on the packaging to let consumers know it is kosher. Here are a few common symbols you can look for: Many times companies cannot afford to pay the high prices of being certified with a symbol so if there are any questions on whether they still adhere to these principles you can always call the company and ask them. Clean animals according to scripture: 1. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. (Lev. 11:3) Common sources of food that meet this criteria is beef, lamb, goat, venison, and buffalo. Pigs do have a split hoof but they do not chew the cud so they are unclean while rabbits chew the cud but do not have a split hoof so they are also unclean. 2. These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. (Lev. 11:9) Many varieties of fish may be eaten such as salmon, trout, tuna, haddock, and all fish that have both fins and scales. Seafood is not clean because they do not have fins and scales. Shrimp are often referred to as cockroaches of the sea. They clean up the sea like a filter and hold in all of the poisons and toxins. Most fish like carp and catfish that do not have scales are bottom feeders and clean up the waters. Would you eat a pool filter and call it food? 3. All fowls or birds are clean except the: Eagle, Ossifrage, Ospray, Vulture, Kite (all kinds), Raven (all kinds), Owl, Night Hawk, Cuckow, Hawk (all kinds), Cormorant, Great Owl, Swan, Pelican, Gier Eagle, Stork, Heron (all Kinds), Lapwing, and the Bat. 4. All insects are unclean except… “the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.” (Lev. 11:22) What is NOT kosher law: 1. Mixing dairy and meat products- This concept derived from the Torah passages that speak of not boiling a kid (baby goat) in its mother’s milk (Exo. 23:19/ Exo. 34:26) This is clearly not a part of the regular dietary law as it is spoken of in the context of giving tithes of the land and not clean and unclean eating. Yahweh wanted to make a difference between His people, Israel, and the pagan nations around them who gathered the harvest in their temples and then offered a kid boiled in its mother’s milk to their pagan gods. He wanted them to not learn the way of the heathen (Jer. 10:2) and adopt it in their time of bringing in the tithes of the harvest. 2. Eating foods not blessed by a Rabbi- Something is not made clean simply by the blessing of a Rabbi otherwise Yahweh would have told everyone to bring their food to Aaron and Moses to bless before they ate it. This is leaven from the Pharisees that makes you believe that you must go to a man to receive instruction and blessing rather than seeking out the clear answers in Torah yourself. This is no different than putting unclean meats on your dinner plate and praying to the God of Israel to bless it to your body. Common arguments against eating Kosher: 1. Eating Kosher was done away with when Yeshua (Jesus) died on the cross. 2. Eating Kosher is for the Jews only. 3. Eating Kosher may have physical benefits but it is not sinning in any way. 4. Eating Kosher was done away with when Simon Keefa (Peter) received the vision in Acts 10. 5. What about Mark 7:15? 6. What about Romans 14? Facts about Kosher eating: 1. Eating Kosher was done away with when Yeshua (Jesus) died on the cross. Yeshua (Jesus) did not come to bring any new laws or somehow change Torah law. He spoke it clearly and without doubt in Matthew 5:17-19 “(17) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (19) Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Kosher eating is a big part of the Torah/Law and so Yeshua said he would not change one jot or tittle of it as a result of His ministry on the earth. In fact the heaven and the earth would pass away first. Go outside and look up at the sky right now. Is there a sky? Jump up and down on the ground and really make sure that it is there. Is the earth still there? Then the Torah including Kosher is still in effect! <

Hebrew Combination

USA / Int’l. « Country   Search products Cart is empty MENU Getting Started in Hebrew, Combination Pack $115.00 CODE: 2389 Availability: In stock Quantity: + 1 − Add to Cart Add to wish list Description Introductory Hebrew Language Curriculum Propel your relationship with God and draw ever nearer to the Jewish Messiah as you learn "Hebrew Roots" and Hebrew root words at the same time. Get ready to learn a language like no other. Learn to read Hebrew! The Getting Started in Hebrew DVDs, companion Workbook, plus the Wall Chart and Flash Cards make it easy. Learn Hebrew from a messianic teacher. After only twelve lessons you will be able to sound out any Hebrew text and move into additional Hebrew resources to begin building your vocabulary and competence. Key Features: Learn how to pronounce and transcribe Hebrew words. Learn the deep symbolic meanings of each Hebrew letter. Learn to distinguish the subtle differences between similar Hebrew letters. Learn about ancient Jewish writings that illustrate biblical concepts through the Hebrew alphabet. Learn Hebrew names and titles of Yeshua the Messiah. Learn basic grammatical concepts found in the Hebrew language. Learn dozens of words that are used in both modern and biblical Hebrew. Reinforce what you have learned with exercises and quizzes. Through 12 lessons on 6 DVDs, Hebrew teacher Aaron Eby takes the student through each lesson in the workbook. The user-friendly 210 page workbook is designed to give the student the maximum learning experience. Combination Pack includes: 6-Volume DVD Set (12 lessons) 210-page workbook 18" x 24" Wall Chart 108 Flash Cards, (Print and Cursive) Details RELATED RESOURCES Sample/Preview Video(s) CURRENT SPECIAL OFFERS HaYesod: The Sabbath, Digital Pack (English) $110.00 HaYesod: The Foundation, Digital Pack (English) $110.00 HaYesod: El Fundamento, kit digital (Spanish) $110.00 HaYesod: The Sabbath, DVD Pack (English) $160.00 HaYesod: The Foundation, DVD Pack (English) $160.00 HaYesod: El Fundamento, kit en DVD (Spanish) $160.00 RECENTLY VIEWED Getting Started in Hebrew, Video Add to Cart Getting Started in Hebrew, Flash Cards Select options Getting Started in Hebrew, Workbook Add to Cart Getting Started in Hebrew, Wall Chart Add to Cart Stay Connected Subscribe to Email Newsletters Follow Us Facebook Twitter FFOZ Websites Info & Help Customer Care Store Links © 1994-2018 First Fruits of Zion.   Copyright, All Rights Reserved. Distribution Center: 4022 Tracks Rd, Marshfield, MO 65706, USA. Phone +1 417 468 2741; Fax +1 417 468 2745; Toll-free 800 775 4807. Office Hours: Mondays—Thursdays : 9am–4pm; Fridays : 9am–1pm (CST)          

Flash Cards

USA / Int’l. « Country   Search products Cart is empty MENU Getting Started in Hebrew, Flash Cards $0.00 Letter Style : CODE: GSIH Availability: In stock Quantity: + 1 − Add to Cart Add to wish list Description Sharpen your recall of Hebrew alef-beit letters and vowels with a set of flashcards in block print or cursive script. Each card includes a large letter for easy recognition, the letter name, its sound, its transliteration letter, different styles of writing that letter, as well as look alike letters to help minimize confusion. Select the style of the cards you prefer, or select both. Book Print (block) Hebrew characters Cursive Script Details RELATED RESOURCES CURRENT SPECIAL OFFERS HaYesod: The Sabbath, Digital Pack (English) $110.00 HaYesod: The Foundation, Digital Pack (English) $110.00 HaYesod: El Fundamento, kit digital (Spanish) $110.00 HaYesod: The Sabbath, DVD Pack (English) $160.00 HaYesod: The Foundation, DVD Pack (English) $160.00 HaYesod: El Fundamento, kit en DVD (Spanish) $160.00 RECENTLY VIEWED Getting Started in Hebrew, Workbook Add to Cart Getting Started in Hebrew, Wall Chart Add to Cart Stay Connected Subscribe to Email Newsletters Follow Us Facebook Twitter FFOZ Websites Info & Help Customer Care Store Links © 1994-2018 First Fruits of Zion.   Copyright, All Rights Reserved. Distribution Center: 4022 Tracks Rd, Marshfield, MO 65706, USA. Phone +1 417 468 2741; Fax +1 417 468 2745; Toll-free 800 775 4807. Office Hours: Mondays—Thursdays : 9am–4pm; Fridays : 9am–1pm (CST)