Precept Upon Precept

The Creator of the Universe gave us specific instructions on how to study His Word, in Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 28:10 For it is: precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.

Therefore, as it should be in ALL that we do, let us HEAR AND FOLLOW HIM by examining some precepts that will help us to determine who we will walk into eternity with.

Love:

His Word, from Bereshit 1:1 through Revelation 22:21, is all about love. His Love for all of His Creation as it was, is and shall be, and our response to His Love. He loves us so much that he has desired to give us over 6,000 years to respond to His Love with our love, or with rebellion. His Desire, our choice! How we respond will determine where and with whom we will spend eternity.

His Love is a perfect love, unable to be comprehended in the flesh. We can only begin to understand the depths of His Love for us when we worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Thinking in Hebrew:

When studying His Word as presented to us in the Scriptures, it is imperative that we understand what language our Creator used when He authored the original Scriptures. His children were, are and always will be Israel. Debarim (Deuteronomy) 32:8-10 “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel… He watched over him as the apple of His eye. Zekaryah (Zechariah) 2:8 …”For he who touches you touches the apple of My eye. Gentiles (non-Israelites) were not, are not, and only can be His children if they hear and follow His Word.

As His children are clearly Israel, and being the Loving Daddy that He is, He would communicate with His children in a language that they would understand, so that they could hear and follow His Word. This language was Hebrew, not English, Greek, Latin, German or any other language!

Much has been lost when His original inspired Scriptures were translated to other languages over the years. As translators of various backgrounds, Greek, Latin, German, etc… have attempted to translate His Word, as originally given in Hebrew, into other languages the meaning of many words has changed therefore often times changing the entire context of His Word. Sometimes this is the innocent result of the challenges involved in translating from Hebrew to another language. Other times it is a result of man’s desire to place himself above the Creator of the Universe, such as with the ineffable name doctrine that is at least partially, or perhaps fully, responsible for the removal of His Name 6,823 times from the Pre-Messianic (Old Testament) Scriptures.

Also, thinking in Hebrew allows one to begin to understand the Hebrew customs and culture, therefore leading to a true understanding of His Word.

Remember, Israel, its language, customs and culture are His people and He communicates as such throughout all of Scripture. He tells His twelve taught ones in Mattithyahu (Matthew) 10:6 …”Do not go into the way of the gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.

Letting Scripture interpret Scripture:

If we desire to have a close, interpersonal and intimate relationship with our Creator, we cannot have anything or anyone come between us. When we rely on someone else to interpret the Scriptures for us, our relationship is really with that person, not our Creator.

Letting Scripture interpret Scripture is allowing Him who authored the Word explain the Word. When He and I walk through the Scriptures together, the image that He has placed in my heart is that we are walking in a beautiful garden together, side by side, and He is holding my hand. His grasp is firm, yet gentle, and His love is felt every step of the way and with every Word He speaks. He talks, I listen. I ask questions, He answers. His love is all around us! He is my Loving Daddy and I am His child.

I recognize that this is contrary to the “traditional” way of studying Scripture employed by most people today. This “traditional” way has one or more “trained professionals/religious leaders” i.e. – pastors, priests, bishops, etc… that share their interpretation of His Word, often times in the form of a sermon on Sunday morning. This sermon usually focuses on one or two Scripture passages followed by a lengthy explanation of what this “religious leader” believes He is trying to say. This opinion rarely, if ever, refers to other Scripture passages for support.

A similar method is found in Bible Study/Sunday School. A leader follows an outline as prescribed in some book that focuses on a verse or verses surrounding a particular theme. The vast majority of the content is the author’s personal opinion of what this verse or verses mean. Just like the sermon discussed in the preceding paragraph, this opinion rarely, if ever, refers to other Scripture passages for support.

It is this “traditional” way of studying His Word as employed by the “religious leaders” over thousands of years, and still employed today, that has led to the many man-made doctrines, such as the ineffable name doctrine, that permeate today’s various forms of worship, Christian, Catholic or otherwise. These man-made doctrines are an attempt to replace His Word, with the word of man, who believes himself to be superior to the Creator of the Universe.

Now I know that most of these man-made doctrines have been in place for hundreds, and in some cases thousands, years. Therefore, none of us alive today are actually responsible for their invention. We are simply accountable to our Creator for whom we follow. Are we going to follow His Perfect Word that once spoken never changes? Or are we going to follow the “traditions” of the “religious leaders” and their man-made doctrines? (This is also known as Replacement Theology.) In other words, are we going to follow the Light, or the darkness?

As I revel in that loving walk in the garden with my Creator, letting Scripture interpret Scripture, He has supplied the following passages to guide us in this matter:

· Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 16:19,21 O YHVH, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no value in them.” “Therefore see, I am causing them to know, this time I cause them to know My hand and My might. And they shall know that My Name is YHVH!”

· Amos 2:4 Thus said YHVH, “For three transgressions of Yehudah, and for four, I do not turn it back, because they have rejected the Torah of YHVH, and did not guard His laws. And their lies after which their fathers walked lead them astray.”

· Yehoshua (Joshua) 24:15 “And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve YHVH, choose for yourselves this day whom you are going to serve, whether the mighty ones which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the mighty ones of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my house, we will serve YHVH.”

· Mattithyahu (Matthew) 23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees (religious leaders), hypocrites! Because you shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for you do not go in, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

· Revelation 22:18-19 For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book.

I have searched my heart and made my choice. As for me and my house, we will serve Abba YHVH!

Simplicity:

The Creator of the Universe is the author of simplicity. The advisory is the author of confusion.

As my loving daddy, all things He desires to make known to me He will do so in the simplest manner possible so that I, as His child, will be able to understand.

When we are surrounded by confusion, be that in thought, written, or spoken word, His Sheep know that to be the work of the advisory.

Churchianty:

What is “the church”? For most of Christianity today, “the church” has replaced Israel as His people. Therefore, they believe the Jewish Messiah came to establish “the church” and save all those who belong to “the church”. Let’s examine the word church for a moment.

As stated in Merriam-Webster Online and Wikipedia, church is an English word that comes from the Greek word kyriake, which means Lord’s/Baal's house. The term church is usually used to refer to a building for worship. Therefore, when one goes to “church”, they are worshipping the Lord/Baal in his house. Is this where the Creator of the Universe can be found? We will begin to see in the letter entitled His Name just who is being worshipped in the Lord’s/Baal's house.

Both Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Brittanica Online indicate that the word church replaced the Greek word ekklesia (ecclesia). In the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Tanak, the term ecclesia is used for the general assembly of the Jewish people, especially when gathered for a religious purpose such as hearing the Law (Torah).

“The church”, simply stated, is a multi-billion dollar business welding extreme amounts of power and influence world-wide. Where in Scripture do we see this type of entity spoken about? To whom does this type of entity worship?

Much more can and will be written on this matter, according to His timetable.

When we let Scripture interpret Scripture, we see that the only way into the New Jerusalem is through one of the twelve gates of the tribes of Israel. Which gate will you enter though?

Worship:

How does the Creator of the Universe desire His children to worship Him?

Yohanan (John) 4:23-24 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also does seek such to worship Him. Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship Him need to worship in spirit and truth.”

We worship Him in spirit and truth when we hear and follow His Word (unleavened bread) as spoken by Him in Scripture, without any man-made additions (leaven).

Who do we worship if we are partaking of the leavened bread instead of the Bread of Life?

The Pre-Messianic Scriptures is the Book of Answers, the Messianic Scriptures is the Book of Questions:

Many have been unknowingly conditioned today to spend most of their time in the New Testament (Messianic Scriptures). There is the implication that somehow, His Word as spoken in the Old Testament (Pre-Messianic Scriptures/Tanak) no longer applies to us today. Some thoughts I have at this point:

· Old vs. New – what image does this create in your mind?

· Renumbering the pages starting in the New Testament – does this mean it is not related to the Old Testament?

At times, the implication even seems to be that the Jewish Messiah came to do away with His Word as spoken in the Pre-Messianic Scriptures. (Remember, once spoken, His Word will never change!)

(Could this be the work of the author of confusion?)

Why would the Creator of the Universe give to His children an instruction manual to the most important task in all the world, finding salvation and eternal life, and tear out the first 2/3 of it and hope they can succeed?

For those who let Scripture interpret Scripture, it is clear that the Messianic Scriptures are a fulfillment of the Pre-Messianic Scriptures. He has made it that simple!

Perhaps the precepts discussed above have prompted further questions in your heart concerning your spiritual walk. This certainly is not an all inclusive list. Or perhaps, like me, you have been identifying with some or all of these items at various times throughout your spiritual walk. Or perhaps you are completely offended by what has been discussed so far and believe I have a demon in me.

For those who choose to walk in the Light, we will now need to respond to His Love.

Dale

February 2008