If You Don’t Work, You Don’t Eat

Posted on 02/25/2015 by Messyanic

Paul writes in his second letter to the Thessalonians…

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 ESV)

I have always attributed the notion to not eating with not working within the context of this passage, relating to idleness. But the more I study, seeking to understand how to walk according to the ways of the Creator, the more I discover this notion is fundamental to the existence of mankind.

Working for Food

Genesis 1:26-30 tells us…

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them.

And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

tomatoes-dirty-handsAnd God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

From the very beginning of creation it was established that the seed-bearing plants and fruit-bearing trees were meant to feed mankind.  Continue reading →

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Kings in the Line of Judah

Posted on 01/30/2015 by Messyanic

Did you know the genealogy given in Matthew, from David to the exile, is not entirely accurate?

For some time now I have known the countings of 14 generations was off somehow, but I was not too clear as to how. However, I just discovered a few days ago that there are three whole generations missing between Joram and Uzziah, which I find very curious.

I’d like to share what I’ve found concerning this, giving Scriptural backup (typed in dark red), with the hope that those who read this will do their own homework and study this matter out for themselves. If I am found to be in error, I would sincerely appreciate correction. I understand that I have not arrived, but this is a snapshot of where I am at the time of this writing. Check this out.

Continue reading →

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Where Is Your Father?

Posted on 12/25/2014 by Messyanic

In John 8:12-59, a discussion ensues over who the Father of Jesus/Yeshua is.  I believe there are a total of four “fathers” being referenced in this passage:

1. The Father, which art in heaven, who the Jews claimed to be their God
2. Jesus’ earthly, biological father
3. The Jews’ earthly, biological father: Abraham
4. The father of lies, the devil

Let’s look at the passage and break down each of these fathers as they are mentioned.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”

Yeshua made a claim here and the Pharisees claimed that he was bearing witness about himself and they considered his testimony not true.

Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father (1) who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father (1) who sent me bears witness about me.”

Yeshua claims what he says is true because he knows where he came from and where he’s going. I believe he understood his purpose. But then, addressing the law, he indicates that he has a second witness concerning himself. This second witness is the Heavenly Father (1).

They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father (2)?”

When the Pharisees posed this question, I believe they thought Yeshua was speaking of his earthly father (2), so they asked where this earthly father was, this second witness required by law.  Continue reading →

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When a Man Knows a Woman

Posted on 12/18/2014 by Messyanic

According to Scripture, what happens when a man knows a woman, and what part does the LORD (YHVH) God play in it all?

Adam

(Genesis 4:1 ESV) Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.”

(Genesis 4:25 ESV) And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 

Cain

(Genesis 4:17 ESV) Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Continue reading →

Posted in Israel, Jesus / Yeshua, Precept Upon Precept, YHVH Elohim/God | Leave a comment

O Holy Night!?

Posted on 12/17/2014 by Messyanic

shepherdold_smallAnd there were shepherds in the same region, lodging in the field, and keeping the night-watches over their flock, and lo, a messenger of the Lord stood over them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they feared a great fear.

And the messenger said to them, `Fear not, for lo, I bring you good news of great joy, that shall be to all the people– because there was born to you to-day a Saviour–who is Christ the Lord–in the city of David, and this is to you the sign: Ye shall find a babe wrapped up, lying in the manger.’

And suddenly there came with the messenger a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, `Glory in the highest to God, and upon earth peace, among men–good will.’ And it came to pass, when the messengers were gone away from them to the heavens, that the men, the shepherds, said unto one another, `We may go over indeed unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that hath come to pass, that the Lord did make known to us.’

And they came, having hasted, and found both Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger, and having seen, they made known abroad concerning the saying spoken to them concerning the child. (Luke 2:8-17 YLT)

I bet the actual birth of the child took place in the Light of DAY as opposed to the Darkness of NIGHT.  Continue reading →

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Christ – The Priesthood and The Kingship

Posted on 12/15/2014 by Messyanic

The Greek word “Christos” (G5547), translated as “Christ”, and the Hebrew word “Mashiyach” (H4899), translated as “Messiah” in English, both mean, “Anointed”.

Looking back in the Old Testament (Tanakh), we see there are two particular offices that are clearly anointed: the Priesthood and the Kingship.

The LORD (YHVH) makes covenants with two particular clans concerning these offices: the house of Levi for priesthood, and the house of David for kingship.

The Priesthood

“Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. (Exodus 29:1-9 ESV)

The Kingship

Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.‘” (2 Samuel 7:8-16 ESV)

These offices are clearly established to continue through the seed of man: through the line of Aaron for the priesthood and through the line of David for the kingship. YHVH specifically chose them, selected from among their brothers.  Continue reading →

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To Fill, Fill Up or Fulfill

Posted on 11/15/2014 by Messyanic

(Genesis 1:22 Brenton) And God blessed them saying, Increase and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let the creatures that fly be multiplied on the earth.

We’re told in Genesis 1:22 that God blessed the sea creatures telling them to increase and multiply and fill the waters in the sea. This is the first mention of the Greek word “pleroo” (G4137) in the Septuagint translated as “fill”. Its Hebrew counterpart in the Masoretic Text is the word “malê” (H4390).

These words (“pleroo” and “malê”) are used throughout the Greek Septuagint and Hebrew Tanakh, respectively and the typical translations are “fill, fill up or fulfill”.

I have found that the use of certain words in English can really make a difference in how we view the message of the text.  Continue reading →

Posted in Jesus / Yeshua, What About? verses | 3 Comments

Tracking the Fall Equinox – Sundial Project

Posted on 09/17/2014 by Messyanic

I was unable to get any readings the following days due to cloud cover.

Posted in 1-Day and Night, 4-Sun Moon & Stars | 6 Comments

And Let Them Be…For Days and Years

Posted on 08/30/2014 by Messyanic

There are quite a bit of theories out there as to how to reckon time according to the Scriptures. Many of which can be tossed out if we just focus first on what Genesis 1 teaches.

We learn that “day” was what God/Elohim called “the light” after He separated it from “the darkness” in verses 3-5. Notice, there is no reference to the earth or sun.

There is a reference to “evening” and “morning” in verse 5 and many folks “see” in their mind’s eye those words to mean “night” and “day”, but they are distinctly different from “night” and “day”. “Night” is what God/Elohim called “the darkness” and “evening” is a period of growing dark. “Day” is what He called “the light” and “morning” is the break of day.

Then we move on in the text to see in verses 14-19 that God/Elohim put “luminaries” in the expanse of the heaven to rule the “day” and the “night”.

Our culture teaches a 24-hour “day”, which is one full rotation of the earth on its axis. But this is not what Genesis says. There is no mention of “hours” or the number “24”, and there is nothing in all of Scripture that claims the earth is rotating.

We need to approach Scripture as a little child, knowing nothing, eager to learn from the words on the page. We need to not approach Scripture like one who has been indoctrinated with the understandings of men. I understand this is very hard to do.  Continue reading →

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The Beginning of Time As We Know It

Posted on 08/21/2014 by Messyanic

Many of us have been taught that the first seven days outlined in Genesis 1 were seven 24-hour “days” and that these “days” all began at sunset. However, when we take a closer look at this chapter, slowly reading line upon line, we see that this is impossible.

In our culture we’re taught that a 24-hour “day” is the time it takes for the earth to make one full rotation in the face of the sun. However, in the Genesis 1 account, there is no sun present until the fourth “day” (and that isn’t until after the fourth day starts). In fact, there is no “heaven” in which the sun is to be placed until the second “day”.

Furthermore, a 24-hour “day” in our culture includes “night”, whereas Genesis 1 clearly states the light that is called “day” was separated from the darkness, which was called by its own name, “night”. Then, when the sun, moon and stars were put in the heavens, one of their express purposes was to divide the light (day) from the darkness (night). We’re specifically told there are two different “great lights”: one to rule the “day” and the other to rule the “night”.

So, if we are going to let Genesis teach us about “time”, what can we derive from chapter 1?

Posted in 1-Day and Night, 4-Sun Moon & Stars, Precept Upon Precept | 2 Comments