Exodus chapter 20
Today we are walking in: Discovering the Origin and Purpose of Man PART 3!!!!!!
Today we look to the word-SERVANT- H2896 ebed--slave, servant, slave, servant, subjects, bondman
The Torah testifies.........……
Genesis
41:12
And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant H5650 to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
The prophets proclaim..................
41:12
And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant H5650 to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 49:5
And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, H5650 to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
The writings bear witness............
And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, H5650 to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
The writings bear witness............
1Kings 3:9
Give therefore thy servant H5650 an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
I personally understand the frustration of religion. I know what it is to grow up in religion just like the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and all the others. I understand the dedication, loyalty and daily preoccupation with the rituals, traditions, forms and activities of religious behavior. From a child I was cultured to embrace religion and not question why we did what we were told or commanded to do. It has become plain to me now that religion preoccupies you in order to distract you—to distract you from your hunger and emptiness for the Kingdom. In essence, religion is designed to keep you too busy to fill your assignment for the Kingdom. Perhaps this is why religion has so many activities related to it. Religion is hard work and its work is its reward.
Perhaps with this understanding now the words of Yahashua Christ can be understood Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matt. 5:3-6).
In His first official presentation of His message to mankind over two thousand years ago, Yahashua unveiled and announced the problem and solution for mankind’s dilemma in these simple statements. He identified the truth that all humanity is spiritually “poor,” which means that they have a natural lack and an inherent need. He declared that the solution is not a religion but “the Kingdom.” He further recognized that the whole family of mankind is in perpetual “mourning” as if something died or was lost, and He saw the coming of the “Kingdom” as the comfort to this mourning. His reference to the hunger of all mankind for “righteousness” was simply a recognition that their right relationship and right positioning, with the authority or government, is guaranteed to be satisfied by the Kingdom.
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30).
These simple words changed my life again for they fully described what I was seeing with my eyes. Religion is hard work. We will never rest until we find the Kingdom. Religion is the toil of mankind in his search for the Kingdom.
THE MOST HIGH YAH’S ORIGINAL PLAN FOR MAN
To understand the past and future of man and to appreciate the present state of man’s journey through time, it is crucial to consider The Most High Yah’s original purpose and plan for His creation. The Most High Yah’s purpose in the beginning was to:
• Establish a family of spirit sons, not servants;
• Establish a kingdom, not a religious organization;
• Establish a kingdom of kings, not subjects;
• Establish a commonwealth of citizens, not religious members;
• Establish relationship with man, not a religion;
• Extend his heavenly government to earth; and,
• Influence earth from heaven through mankind.
SONS OR SERVANTS
I understand the implications of the word servant and the clear distinction between a servant and a son. Under the colonial system and a product of former slaves, the role of segregation, discrimination and prejudice had detrimental influences on my life. The obstacles were evident and manifested themselves in graphic ways that clearly placed us at a disadvantage when it came to benefits and privileges in the kingdom. As servants of the crown, we were not allowed to share the same opportunities in education, work, leisure, financial prosperity and status in society. This inequity was contrasted by the seemingly unlimited fortunate lifestyles of the sons of the masters in the kingdom. A servant is definitely not the same as a son.
A closer look at The Most High Yah’s original plan will reveal how great a divide exists between religion and relationship. The Most High Yah originally intended to extend His heavenly Kingdom on earth through mankind. In this plan, The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish a family of sons, not a household of servants.
Just as Scripture shows us that men are Hamachiach’s Bride, so, too, are women The Most High Yah’s sons. In Hamachiach we are all heirs (see Rom. 8:14). In the eighth chapter of John, Yahashua makes a clear distinction between servants and sons:
To the Hebrews who had believed Him, Yahashua said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Yahashua replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-36).
Yahashua said that sons are members of the family, but servants are not. From the beginning, The Most High Yah wanted offspring who would relate to Him in love, not slaves or “hired hands” who would obey Him out of obligation. Servants may relate to their master on a superficial level, but no intimacy or sense of family exists. Sons, on the other hand, are part of the family; they are heirs who will inherit everything that belongs to their father.
SONS, NOT SUBJECTS
The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish a Kingdom of sons, not subjects. This is a difficult concept for us to understand at first because, from the human perspective, the existence of a king automatically implies the existence of subjects. Subjects are people who are “subject” to the king’s rule and are never considered in the same class or status as royalty. However, this is not The Most High Yah’s plan for us. The Most High Yah is indeed a King, but He does not want subjects. He wants sons. He does not want to rule us, but to have a family who shares His rulership.
The Most High Yah’s Kingdom is different from earthly kingdoms in that it has no subjects. There are no peasants in the Kingdom of The Most High Yah, only sons. In the Kingdom of The Most High Yah we are not subjects but members of the royal family. Yahashua Hamachiach, the only begotten Son of The Most High Yah, whom Revelation 19:16 (NLB) refers to as “King of kings and Lord of lords” is our elder Brother. Everyone in The Most High Yah’s Kingdom is a prince or princess. There are no peasants or middle class, and no order of servants. In The Most High Yah’s Kingdom, everyone is related to the King.
CITIZENS, NOT RELIGIOUS MEMBERS
In addition, The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish a commonwealth of citizens, not members of a religion. This understanding is essential to grasping the concept of the message of Yahashua Hamachiach concerning the Kingdom of heaven. As a kingdom is a government and nation, it would not have members as would a religious organization. As a matter of fact the Lord never intended that those who believe in Yahashua as Messiah and King be referred to as Christians. Now, you are probably stumbling over this sentence and wondering how I could make such a statement. Here’s the problem: The word Christian has too much baggage attached to it. It refers to a whole host of people and some of them have no connection to The Most High Yah’s Kingdom. The word has become a “religious” term devoid of any significant meaning as it relates to the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. Kingdoms are built upon the concept of legalities, which extends to its citizens, offering them the rights and privileges that are guaranteed by the King.
People who adhere to some religion group, including Christians, consider themselves members of the group, which they perceive as a religious and spiritual relationship with the organization or fraternity. For instance, the term Christian refers to an individual who adheres to or sympathizes with the Christian faith, and is identified both inside and outside that faith as a religious entity.
However, the concept of kingdom is completely opposite to the concept of religion. A kingdom consists of a king with citizens. Citizenship is essentially a legal entity with rights and privileges protected by a constitutional commitment of the king and his government. Too many Christians are simply religious people, but citizens of the Kingdom are legal people—legal in the sense that by virtue of a spiritual birth each individual in the Kingdom has the rights and blessings of citizens of this heavenly Kingdom. We must be delivered from our religious mindsets and have our thinking readjusted so that we can take on a regal mindset. Religious people have no rights, but legal people do. The Most High Yah has always desired sons who are citizens of His Kingdom, possessing the legal right to be part of His family. Citizenship is always considered a privilege in all kingdoms and nations and is usually reserved for those born into that nation or kingdom. There are special situations where one can become a citizen through privileges extended by the governing authority, but birthright is the guaranteed form of sonship and the resulting rights of citizenship. In Yahashua these precious rights are conferred to everyone who trusts in Him:
Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of The Most High Yah— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of The Most High Yah (John 1:12- 13).
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Yahashua Hamachiach, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body (Phil. 3:20-21, NIV).
The name Christian was originally a derogatory label given by pagans to followers of Hamachiach, even though believers through the centuries have generally accepted the term (which literally means “little Hamachiach”) and borne it with honor. Yet the term Christian occurs only twice in the Scriptures (Acts 26:28-29 and 1 Peter 4:16-17).
Please let me stress that I am not denying the value or the role this identification has played in the life or the history of the Christian religion over the past 2,000 years. But my concern is the restrictive religious connotations that have detracted many people from the original purpose, message, and mission of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. The term Christian tends to mentally lock a person into a religious mold and limits the reality of the truth about the Kingdom.
The Bible refers to man’s relationship to The Most High Yah with these phrases: servants (which is another word for “representative minister” as a government minister), saints, ambassadors, sons of The Most High Yah, citizens of heaven, kings, The Most High Yah’s workmanship, children of The Most High Yah, and other terms of endearment, but not officially are they referred to as Christians. Christianity was never a term given to us by Yahashua Hamachiach nor the apostles. The term Christian was never to be a title nor label that we wore, but a lifestyle that we lived demonstrating the nature of “Christ- likeness.” In essence, Christian was supposed to be a description of the culture of the Kingdom being exhibited through our lives. Right or wrong, most unbelievers have a definite idea of what they think a Christian should be. If we are not careful, we can identify too strongly with their label and fall into the trap of trying to live up to their expectations. We should stop trying so hard to live like Christians and all of the false assumptions associated with that term, and instead work harder at living like sons and daughters of The Most High Yah, brothers and sisters of Christ, and citizens of the Kingdom of heaven.
RELATIONSHIP OR RELIGION
Finally, The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish relationship, not religion. As stated earlier, religion is man’s search for The Most High Yah and the Kingdom he lost. The original plan and purpose of The Most High Yah was to have a family of sons that He could relate to as a father to his children. This plan was evident from the beginning and is expressed more fully in the earthly introduction of the Father by Yahashua Christ Himself. A careful review of the principle set forth in the Holy Scripture, which is the constitution of the Kingdom, will reveal this constant desire for personal and intimate relationship and fellowship that The Most High Yah desired with all mankind. All of His actions throughout history were extensions of Himself to us, as He desired to tabernacle or dwell with man. His ultimate goal was always to restore
His original place with mankind. How much more personal can one get?
This is the truth behind Yahashua’ parable of the prodigal son, where a young man took his inheritance early, left home, and wasted his fortune in unThe Most High Yahly living. Later on, destitute and hungry and reduced to feeding pigs in a sty, he decided to return home, hoping to be received by his father simply as a hired servant. Upon his arrival, however, his father greeted him with joy and open arms and restored him to his rightful place in the family (see Luke 15:11-24). The father wanted his son back, not a servant.
That’s the way The Most High Yah is, too. He wants sons, not servants or subjects; He wants citizens, not Christians; and, He wants relationships, not religion.
Give therefore thy servant H5650 an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
I personally understand the frustration of religion. I know what it is to grow up in religion just like the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and all the others. I understand the dedication, loyalty and daily preoccupation with the rituals, traditions, forms and activities of religious behavior. From a child I was cultured to embrace religion and not question why we did what we were told or commanded to do. It has become plain to me now that religion preoccupies you in order to distract you—to distract you from your hunger and emptiness for the Kingdom. In essence, religion is designed to keep you too busy to fill your assignment for the Kingdom. Perhaps this is why religion has so many activities related to it. Religion is hard work and its work is its reward.
Perhaps with this understanding now the words of Yahashua Christ can be understood Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matt. 5:3-6).
In His first official presentation of His message to mankind over two thousand years ago, Yahashua unveiled and announced the problem and solution for mankind’s dilemma in these simple statements. He identified the truth that all humanity is spiritually “poor,” which means that they have a natural lack and an inherent need. He declared that the solution is not a religion but “the Kingdom.” He further recognized that the whole family of mankind is in perpetual “mourning” as if something died or was lost, and He saw the coming of the “Kingdom” as the comfort to this mourning. His reference to the hunger of all mankind for “righteousness” was simply a recognition that their right relationship and right positioning, with the authority or government, is guaranteed to be satisfied by the Kingdom.
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30).
These simple words changed my life again for they fully described what I was seeing with my eyes. Religion is hard work. We will never rest until we find the Kingdom. Religion is the toil of mankind in his search for the Kingdom.
THE MOST HIGH YAH’S ORIGINAL PLAN FOR MAN
To understand the past and future of man and to appreciate the present state of man’s journey through time, it is crucial to consider The Most High Yah’s original purpose and plan for His creation. The Most High Yah’s purpose in the beginning was to:
• Establish a family of spirit sons, not servants;
• Establish a kingdom, not a religious organization;
• Establish a kingdom of kings, not subjects;
• Establish a commonwealth of citizens, not religious members;
• Establish relationship with man, not a religion;
• Extend his heavenly government to earth; and,
• Influence earth from heaven through mankind.
SONS OR SERVANTS
I understand the implications of the word servant and the clear distinction between a servant and a son. Under the colonial system and a product of former slaves, the role of segregation, discrimination and prejudice had detrimental influences on my life. The obstacles were evident and manifested themselves in graphic ways that clearly placed us at a disadvantage when it came to benefits and privileges in the kingdom. As servants of the crown, we were not allowed to share the same opportunities in education, work, leisure, financial prosperity and status in society. This inequity was contrasted by the seemingly unlimited fortunate lifestyles of the sons of the masters in the kingdom. A servant is definitely not the same as a son.
A closer look at The Most High Yah’s original plan will reveal how great a divide exists between religion and relationship. The Most High Yah originally intended to extend His heavenly Kingdom on earth through mankind. In this plan, The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish a family of sons, not a household of servants.
Just as Scripture shows us that men are Hamachiach’s Bride, so, too, are women The Most High Yah’s sons. In Hamachiach we are all heirs (see Rom. 8:14). In the eighth chapter of John, Yahashua makes a clear distinction between servants and sons:
To the Hebrews who had believed Him, Yahashua said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Yahashua replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-36).
Yahashua said that sons are members of the family, but servants are not. From the beginning, The Most High Yah wanted offspring who would relate to Him in love, not slaves or “hired hands” who would obey Him out of obligation. Servants may relate to their master on a superficial level, but no intimacy or sense of family exists. Sons, on the other hand, are part of the family; they are heirs who will inherit everything that belongs to their father.
SONS, NOT SUBJECTS
The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish a Kingdom of sons, not subjects. This is a difficult concept for us to understand at first because, from the human perspective, the existence of a king automatically implies the existence of subjects. Subjects are people who are “subject” to the king’s rule and are never considered in the same class or status as royalty. However, this is not The Most High Yah’s plan for us. The Most High Yah is indeed a King, but He does not want subjects. He wants sons. He does not want to rule us, but to have a family who shares His rulership.
The Most High Yah’s Kingdom is different from earthly kingdoms in that it has no subjects. There are no peasants in the Kingdom of The Most High Yah, only sons. In the Kingdom of The Most High Yah we are not subjects but members of the royal family. Yahashua Hamachiach, the only begotten Son of The Most High Yah, whom Revelation 19:16 (NLB) refers to as “King of kings and Lord of lords” is our elder Brother. Everyone in The Most High Yah’s Kingdom is a prince or princess. There are no peasants or middle class, and no order of servants. In The Most High Yah’s Kingdom, everyone is related to the King.
CITIZENS, NOT RELIGIOUS MEMBERS
In addition, The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish a commonwealth of citizens, not members of a religion. This understanding is essential to grasping the concept of the message of Yahashua Hamachiach concerning the Kingdom of heaven. As a kingdom is a government and nation, it would not have members as would a religious organization. As a matter of fact the Lord never intended that those who believe in Yahashua as Messiah and King be referred to as Christians. Now, you are probably stumbling over this sentence and wondering how I could make such a statement. Here’s the problem: The word Christian has too much baggage attached to it. It refers to a whole host of people and some of them have no connection to The Most High Yah’s Kingdom. The word has become a “religious” term devoid of any significant meaning as it relates to the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. Kingdoms are built upon the concept of legalities, which extends to its citizens, offering them the rights and privileges that are guaranteed by the King.
People who adhere to some religion group, including Christians, consider themselves members of the group, which they perceive as a religious and spiritual relationship with the organization or fraternity. For instance, the term Christian refers to an individual who adheres to or sympathizes with the Christian faith, and is identified both inside and outside that faith as a religious entity.
However, the concept of kingdom is completely opposite to the concept of religion. A kingdom consists of a king with citizens. Citizenship is essentially a legal entity with rights and privileges protected by a constitutional commitment of the king and his government. Too many Christians are simply religious people, but citizens of the Kingdom are legal people—legal in the sense that by virtue of a spiritual birth each individual in the Kingdom has the rights and blessings of citizens of this heavenly Kingdom. We must be delivered from our religious mindsets and have our thinking readjusted so that we can take on a regal mindset. Religious people have no rights, but legal people do. The Most High Yah has always desired sons who are citizens of His Kingdom, possessing the legal right to be part of His family. Citizenship is always considered a privilege in all kingdoms and nations and is usually reserved for those born into that nation or kingdom. There are special situations where one can become a citizen through privileges extended by the governing authority, but birthright is the guaranteed form of sonship and the resulting rights of citizenship. In Yahashua these precious rights are conferred to everyone who trusts in Him:
Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of The Most High Yah— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of The Most High Yah (John 1:12- 13).
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Yahashua Hamachiach, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body (Phil. 3:20-21, NIV).
The name Christian was originally a derogatory label given by pagans to followers of Hamachiach, even though believers through the centuries have generally accepted the term (which literally means “little Hamachiach”) and borne it with honor. Yet the term Christian occurs only twice in the Scriptures (Acts 26:28-29 and 1 Peter 4:16-17).
Please let me stress that I am not denying the value or the role this identification has played in the life or the history of the Christian religion over the past 2,000 years. But my concern is the restrictive religious connotations that have detracted many people from the original purpose, message, and mission of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. The term Christian tends to mentally lock a person into a religious mold and limits the reality of the truth about the Kingdom.
The Bible refers to man’s relationship to The Most High Yah with these phrases: servants (which is another word for “representative minister” as a government minister), saints, ambassadors, sons of The Most High Yah, citizens of heaven, kings, The Most High Yah’s workmanship, children of The Most High Yah, and other terms of endearment, but not officially are they referred to as Christians. Christianity was never a term given to us by Yahashua Hamachiach nor the apostles. The term Christian was never to be a title nor label that we wore, but a lifestyle that we lived demonstrating the nature of “Christ- likeness.” In essence, Christian was supposed to be a description of the culture of the Kingdom being exhibited through our lives. Right or wrong, most unbelievers have a definite idea of what they think a Christian should be. If we are not careful, we can identify too strongly with their label and fall into the trap of trying to live up to their expectations. We should stop trying so hard to live like Christians and all of the false assumptions associated with that term, and instead work harder at living like sons and daughters of The Most High Yah, brothers and sisters of Christ, and citizens of the Kingdom of heaven.
RELATIONSHIP OR RELIGION
Finally, The Most High Yah’s purpose was to establish relationship, not religion. As stated earlier, religion is man’s search for The Most High Yah and the Kingdom he lost. The original plan and purpose of The Most High Yah was to have a family of sons that He could relate to as a father to his children. This plan was evident from the beginning and is expressed more fully in the earthly introduction of the Father by Yahashua Christ Himself. A careful review of the principle set forth in the Holy Scripture, which is the constitution of the Kingdom, will reveal this constant desire for personal and intimate relationship and fellowship that The Most High Yah desired with all mankind. All of His actions throughout history were extensions of Himself to us, as He desired to tabernacle or dwell with man. His ultimate goal was always to restore
His original place with mankind. How much more personal can one get?
This is the truth behind Yahashua’ parable of the prodigal son, where a young man took his inheritance early, left home, and wasted his fortune in unThe Most High Yahly living. Later on, destitute and hungry and reduced to feeding pigs in a sty, he decided to return home, hoping to be received by his father simply as a hired servant. Upon his arrival, however, his father greeted him with joy and open arms and restored him to his rightful place in the family (see Luke 15:11-24). The father wanted his son back, not a servant.
That’s the way The Most High Yah is, too. He wants sons, not servants or subjects; He wants citizens, not Christians; and, He wants relationships, not religion.
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