SERVICE: THE HEART OF THE KINGDOM

Matthew chapter 6













Today we are walking in: Service: The Heart Of The Kingdom










Today we look to the word- AMBASSADOR- H6735- tsiyr- ambassador, hinge, messenger, pain, pang, sorrow











The Torah testifies……..




**************










The Prophets proclaim……..




Obadiah 1:1




The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador H6735 is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.










The Writings witness………………




Proverbs 13:17




A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador H6735 is health.










“A stingy man with much wealth is a danger to a world of poor men.”





“SERVICE: THE HEART OF KINGDOM CULTURE




From the beginning, Yah’s original purpose and plan was to rule the earth from Heaven through His family of humankind. He created man for this very reason. Man’s original purpose was to dominate the earth through Kingdom influence. Yah’s strategy for accomplishing this was to establish a colony of Heaven on earth. His intention was to influence the earth from Heaven so that the earth would begin to take on the culture of Heaven. In this manner, the influence of the invisible heavenly Kingdom would permeate, fill, and cover the visible physical earthly realm.




A kingdom, as we have already seen, is the governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his intent and his purpose, manifesting that impact through the development of a culture that is manifested in its citizens. In other words, every kingdom manifests itself in the lifestyle and culture of its people. This means that every citizen of a kingdom is supposed to take on the nature of the king. That is why, for example, they speak British English in the Bahamas. They call it the “King’s English” because their lifestyle and culture reflect the influence of the British crown.




Yah’s intent for us as Kingdom citizens is that we take on the culture of Heaven so that in whatever we do or say it will be evident that we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why we don’t use foul language or lie or cheat or practice deceit or give way to jealousy or hatred. Those things are not part of Heaven’s culture and therefore are foreign to us. As Kingdom citizens we are from Yah’s country and both our language and our lifestyle should reflect that.




Remember, the Kingdom of Yah is not a religion. It is an actual country with its own government, laws, culture, and citizenry. And unlike earthly kingdoms of men, the Kingdom of Heaven is an eternal Kingdom. The Old Testament prophet Daniel said of Yah, “How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation” (Dan. 4:3). Even the oldest nations on earth have been organized states for less than 2,000 years. That may be a long time from man’s perspective but it is merely a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. An eternal Kingdom needs to be taken seriously. The Kingdom of Heaven will still be around after every kingdom of man has fallen to dust.




Yah’s Kingdom will endure from generation to generation. This means that there is a place in the Kingdom not only for us but also for our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all other generations of our descendents until the end of time. If the Kingdom dies with us as far as our family is concerned, then we will have failed our King. Yah is always looking for more citizens for His Kingdom, and if we fail in our generation, who will introduce future generations to the Kingdom?




The Kingdom of Heaven is our inheritance. Again, from the words of Daniel, “The saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever” (Dan. 7:18). Saints is another word for Kingdom citizens. We are destined to possess the Kingdom that Yahusha Hamachiach came to earth to announce and establish.




As I have mentioned before, Hamachiach did not bring a religion but a Kingdom, a royal government. Christianity is a religion, which is why it doesn’t work. You can practice a religion but you can’t practice citizenship. This is why some folks are good on Sunday and a mess on Monday. They’re practicing religion. But you can’t practice citizenship. Being a Kingdom citizen is a 24-hour-a-day reality, which is just what Yah wants. He doesn’t want members, but citizens. He wants people on earth who are citizens of a country from another place. That is why as Kingdom citizens we are in the world but not of the world.




In bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, Hamachiach was restoring what man lost in the Garden of Eden. Yet somewhere along the way we missed the point and substituted a religion for the Kingdom. Yahusha said, “Blessed are the poor in Ruach, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (Matt. 5:3). “Poor in Ruach” means spiritually bankrupt, spiritually destitute and in great spiritual need. Yahusha said that the Kingdom of Heaven is reserved for those who recognize their spiritual poverty. If you are spiritually empty, no religion, including institutionalized, man-centered Christianity, can fill your emptiness. You will never be satisfied until you receive the Kingdom.




This is why Yahusha was so insistent that we seek first the Kingdom and righteousness of Yah and trust Him to provide all the things that we need for daily life. The enemy likes nothing more than to distract us into pursuing things because it keeps our attention away from the Kingdom and our Kingdom destiny.




THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN HAS A DISTINCTIVE CULTURE




Yahusha always talked about the Kingdom. It was His only message. One time He said, “The kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matt. 13:33). This parable is a statement about Kingdom influence. One thing about yeast, once you add it to your dough you cannot remove it. It’s there for good. And although it works slowly at first, eventually the yeast permeates the entire batch of dough.




In the same way, now that the Kingdom of Heaven is on earth, it will never depart. And like yeast, the Kingdom is growing and will continue to grow until it thoroughly covers and saturates the earth. Although human governments come and go, the government of Yah will last forever. His Kingdom is eternal.




The presence of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth divides all the people on earth into two groups: those who are Kingdom citizens and those who are not. This is a critical distinction. Our purpose as Kingdom citizens is to work with the King to increase the size of the first group and decrease the size of the second group. We have a calling and a responsibility to influence earthly culture with the culture of Heaven. For this very reason, the King has given us Kingdom authority—the keys of the Kingdom—so that we can fulfill our calling as ministers of reconciliation.




Every country has a culture. Culture is the manifestation of the nature of the government in the lifestyle, customs, and morals of the people. In other words, every country has unique qualities of character, customs, traditions, and social mores that distinguish it from other countries. In practical terms this means that when you enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the new birth in Hamachiach, you become a Kingdom citizen and the culture of the Kingdom should begin to manifest in your life, your speech, and your behavior.




When you return to work, your boss and your co-workers should notice such a difference in your manner and behavior that it will prompt them to ask you what has changed about you. That is when you can say, “Yes, something is different. I have changed countries and am now a citizen of a different government. I am in this world but not of it. My citizenship is from another place.”




Kingdom culture is distinctly different from the cultures of any earthly country. The Kingdom operates under different principles and laws than those of the world and thus produces a distinctive culture that stands out in the world. One of the clearest distinctives of Kingdom culture is that it is a culture characterized by service. The cultures of the world manifest an every-man-for-himself approach to life and success. Kingdom culture, however, measures success by service and self-giving. Kingdom culture is a culture of servanthood.




A CULTURE OF SERVANTHOOD




Yahusha modeled consistently in word and deed the character quality of servanthood. He also taught it as a fundamental principle of Kingdom life. One of His most explicit teachings on the subject came in response to a request he received from the mother of James and John, two of His closest disciples.




Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Yahusha with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.




“What is it you want?” he asked.




She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”




“You don’t know what you are asking,” Yahusha said to them.” Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”




“We can,” they answered.




Yahusha said to them, “You will indeed drink from My cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by My Father” (Matthew 20:20-23).




This woman was like all loving mothers; she wanted the best for her boys. She wanted them to be great men, men of authority in the Kingdom that Yahusha was establishing. She hoped to persuade Yahusha to promote her sons to positions of greatness and power. Her problem lay in the fact that she approached the matter from the attitude and value system of the world. She did not yet understand the dynamics of the Kingdom. She did not understand that the values, standards, principles, and priorities of the Kingdom were very different from those in the world.




Yahusha’ response was less than she (and her sons) had hoped. He said that the positions on either side of Him in the Kingdom were not His to give. Those choices were for His Father to make.




Understandably, Yahusha’ other disciples were upset over all of this, which gave Yahusha the opportunity to teach them all about greatness from the Kingdom perspective.




When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Yahusha called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:24-28).




Yahusha said that in the Kingdom, you don’t find greatness by seeking titles or position. Greatness in the Kingdom does not come by advancing over your co-workers and then lording your elevation over them. In the Kingdom, you serve your way to greatness. You don’t connive your way to greatness. The mother of James and John sought greatness for her sons by association instead of dedication. She hoped to exploit her sons’ “inner track” to Yahusha for their advantage. After all, that is how the world operates. You get ahead according to who you know.




But Yahusha nipped that idea in the bud. He said, “In My Kingdom you don’t achieve greatness by who you associate with but rather by how well you serve others.” His own life was the perfect example. Yahusha, even though He was the Son of Yah, came to serve, not to be served. What was appropriate for Him is certainly appropriate for us. The road to greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven leads through the valley of humble service.




Yahusha said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” In this context, the word first means the first one people always call on. In other words, the one who is the most important, the one who is most valuable, the one who everyone calls first is the one with the reputation for working the hardest.




If people are always calling on you or turning to you, that’s a good sign. However, if you are the one they always avoid, perhaps it is time for you to reexamine your attitude, habits, and work ethic. No one ever becomes great by avoiding the hard jobs and the tough decisions. And if you do not have the Ruach of service and hard work, it will not be only people avoiding you. Prosperity will avoid you as well.




Being a servant does not mean that you become subservient. It means that you find what you have and you give it to the world. You serve your gift to the world. That’s what makes you great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE OF ADDITION PART 2

Matthew chapter 6










Today we are walking in: The Kingdom Principle of Addition Part 2










Today we look to the word OBEY --H8085 - shâmaʻ, shaw-mah'; a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, attentively, call gather together, carefully, certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, make a proclaimation, publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.









The Torah testifies.........……



Genesis 27:13

And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.





Exodus 23:22

But if thou shalt indeed obey H8085 his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.





Deuteronomy 13:4




Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.










The prophets proclaim..................



Joshua 24:24

And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey H8085.




Nehemiah 9:17




And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.




Jeremiah 7:23




But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.









The writings bear witness............



Joshua 24:24




And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.





Job 36:11

If they obey H8085 and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.





Psalm 18:44




As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.










THE ADDITION PRINCIPLE




The Kingdom principle of addition is founded on four significant truths that are uniquely characteristic of kingdoms. All four relate to the relationship that exists between the King and His citizens.




1. All that is needed for sustenance and life is the obligation of the king.




In a democracy, every citizen has to earn his own living and make his own way. The government tries to create an environment in which every citizen can succeed but takes no direct responsibility for the care and welfare of its citizens at a personal level. Success levels among citizens vary due to education, motivation, opportunity, and a host of other factors. This is why every democratic society has rich people, poor people, and those in between.




Compare this to a kingdom, where the care and welfare of every citizen is the direct and personal responsibility of the king. This doesn’t mean, of course, that the king personally visits every citizen and takes care of every need single-handedly—a wise king delegates those responsibilities—but it does mean that the buck stops with him. Anything that any citizen lacks reflects poorly on the king and on the quality of his rule.




A king, therefore, has a vested interest in making sure all his citizens prosper, because prosperous citizens make for a prosperous kingdom. And a prosperous kingdom brings glory to the king. In fact, a king is obligated to take care of his citizens because he owns everything in his kingdom and they will have nothing unless he gives it to them. Consequently, and unlike a democracy, there are no poor people in a kingdom. Nobody is poor because nobody owns anything. But all citizens have equal access to the king’s assets.




I am speaking, of course, of an ideal kingdom, a perfect kingdom with a perfect, omnipotent and benevolent king who always and in every situation works for the good and greater welfare of his citizens. Clearly, no such kingdom can be found among today’s earthly governments. Only the Kingdom of Heaven and its divine King meet these criteria. And He has promised to meet the needs and protect the welfare of His people.




2. Provisions for life are the responsibility of the king and not the citizen.




Democracies are built on the principles of capitalism and free and open markets. Every person in a democracy is free to make his or her own way, free to seek and enjoy the good life. In fact, they are obligated to because no one will do it for them. Yet for many, including many believers, making their own way isn’t working. The daily rat race really drags them down. Every day is a struggle, money is always in short supply, and they see no end in sight to these circumstances. Common wisdom says, “Go for your piece of the pie,” but the pie is so small that there seems not to be enough for everybody to get some. Consequently, most people live and die never having tasted anything but crumbs.




This is the system we live in on earth, but Yahusha says, “That’s all wrong! You are Kingdom citizens. Provision for life is not your responsibility; it’s mine. So stop worrying about all this stuff. Let Me take care of it! I know it’s tough to break away from the system because the system is built for dependency. Nevertheless, let go of the system. Learn to depend on Me.”




Some of you may wonder if I am advising you to become irresponsible. Not at all. I’m actually encouraging you to become more responsible by trusting the King. It takes more responsibility to live in the Kingdom than to live in the system of the world.




3. Kingdom favor is the unearned provision of the king.




The Kingdom of Heaven does not operate on a system of wages and earnings. This is a good thing, because none of us could ever earn our way into Heaven. Eternal life is unavailable to us, completely out of our reach, unless it is given (added) to us as a gift. And this is exactly what Yah has done: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yah is eternal life in Hamachiach Yahusha our Most High” (Rom. 6:23).




The gift of Yah’s unearned provision is called favor. He gives because He chooses to, not because we deserve it. Favor is the system upon which the Kingdom of Heaven operates. Nothing we receive in the Kingdom do we receive because we worked for it. Anything we work for constitutes earnings, not additions. Additions always come to us unearned.




Yet still we work and fret and labor and sweat to secure the things we need and want and wonder why the Kingdom of Heaven is not “working” for us. The answer is very simple: the Kingdom does not operate on works; it operates on favor. We cannot expect the Kingdom’s provisions to come our way until we learn to operate by the Kingdom’s system.




4. Man was never designed to pursue personal provisions but the influence of Heaven on earth.




Our purpose on earth as Kingdom citizens and ambassadors is to spread the awareness and the influence of Yah’s Kingdom throughout the earth. Pursuing provision was never part of Yah’s master plan for us. That’s why Yahusha said, “Don’t worry about food or drink or clothing, because your heavenly Father knows you need these things.” When we are about our Kingdom purpose, our King will supply all the provisions we need to do the job.




The “Most High’s Prayer” (or “Model Prayer”) recorded in Matthew 6:9-13, which Yahusha used to teach His disciples how to pray, contains only one phrase related to provision: “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). This phrase serves to reorient our hearts and minds to the One who is our true Source and Provider. The real focus of our prayers should be, “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). In other words, we should pray (and work) for the influence of the Kingdom to advance throughout the earth and let the King handle all the logistics. Yah’s desire is that we not live for things, but live for His influence.




KINGDOM PROVISION AND PURPOSE




Provision is a by-product of obedience. It is not a wage paid for work performed or for services rendered. Yahusha promised that if we seek the Kingdom and righteousness of Yah that all the provisions we need for life will be added to us. Everything necessary for us to live righteously as Kingdom citizens will be provided. But our heart and mind, our will and desire, must be inclined toward consistent obedience to the King.




This kind of obedience involves much more than simple adherence to external rules and regulations or mere outward behavioral changes. You can obey on the outside and still possess a rebellious, disobedient heart. This is a very old problem, extending as far back as the Garden of Eden. In fact, the ancient Hebrew prophet Isaiah records this complaint of Yah about His people: “The Most High says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men’” (Isa. 29:13). As far as Yah is concerned, external obedience with a disobedient heart is not obedience at all.




Obedience that releases Kingdom provision begins in the heart and manifests in our outward lives. In other words, true external obedience is the result of an obedient heart. False external obedience is nothing more than a calculated ploy to manipulate Yah into giving us what we want, and it will fail every time. This is why many believers are perplexed today. They go to worship, they read their Bible, they pray, they give their tithe and their time, and yet nothing seems to be working. The Kingdom storehouse is still shut to them. The reason? They are not living right. Their hearts are not clean and pure before Yah. Despite their outward display of righteousness, their hearts are out of alignment with the Kingdom government.




In the Bible, abundant provision and prosperity clearly are linked to obedience to Yah. Shortly before the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, Moses gave then this charge and promise from Yah:




Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Most High your Yah, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Most High your Yah will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Most High your Yah: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:1-6 NKJV).




When we obey the Most High with our whole heart, His blessings will “overtake” us. This means that when Yah’s blessings come to us, they will be more than we know what to do with. To be blessed in the fruit of our body and the produce of our ground means that Yah will bless and guard our investments. The increase in our herds means that the accumulations of our wealth will be multiplied. Everywhere we go, wherever we turn and in whatever we touch we will be blessed.




Success, favor, and influence for the Kingdom will expand at every turn.




If we obey Yah’s commands from our heart, the provisions of the Kingdom will overtake us.




In addition to the issue of obedience in the Kingdom, is the issue of ownership. The principle of provision and prosperity in the Kingdom is access, not ownership or pursuit. Wealth in the Kingdom of Yah is defined not as having things stored up but rather having access to things that are stored up. When we avidly and anxiously pursue things such as food, water, clothing, housing, and the like, we imply that we believe these things are scarce, and unless we fight alongside everybody else we will not get our piece of the pie.




There is no lack of anything in the Kingdom of Yah; no shortages and no rationing. On the contrary, there are boundless amounts of everything. The King owns everything; we own nothing. Because the King owns everything, He can give anything in any amount to any of His children anytime He wants to. The principle of provision and addition involves being in the position through right living to have access to as much as we need of anything that we need to carry out our assignment from Yah.




Look at it this way. Imagine that your father is a billionaire and he says to you, “I will give you a choice. I will either set up a $1 million account for you to live on that is exclusively yours or, in lieu of your own account, I will give you complete and unlimited access to everything I have.” Which would you choose: $1 million that is yours free and clear or free access to billions? It’s a no-brainer! And yet when it comes to matters of the Kingdom of Yah, many of us pass on unlimited access in favor of getting and hoarding our little piece of the pie. Does that make any sense? True wealth is found not in an abundance of possessions but in unlimited access to infinite resources.




We need access to such resources because man was not created to work for provision but for purpose. And what is our purpose? To spread the knowledge and influence of the Kingdom of Heaven over all the earth. Success in such an assignment requires adequate daily provision. Just as no wise general will send his troops onto the battlefield without making sure they have all the equipment and provisions they need to accomplish their mission, neither will Yah send us forth to fulfill our purpose without providing us with the resources to carry it out. So whenever and wherever we go to work we should be motivated not by the promise of a paycheck but by the calling of our King to spread His Kingdom throughout the world, starting in our own workplace.




Man was created to work out his assignment, not work for a living. This doesn’t mean we stop working; it means we change our reason for working. Working for a paycheck can inspire only so far and for only so long. But to go to work every day knowing that we are living for a higher purpose—an eternal purpose—can place our work in a whole new light.




In the Kingdom, assignment determines access. What does that mean? It’s very simple. Whatever you were born to do is how rich you are. If you are trying to get rich so you can say you are richer than everybody else, your pursuit will end up killing you (or make you so miserable you will wish you were dead). If you are committed to your Kingdom purpose, however, Yah will prosper you to whatever degree necessary for you to succeed. In the Kingdom of Yah, your assignment determines your access to the provisions of the King.




It is far more important to find our assignment than to pursue things because the things that come into our lives come to help us fulfill our Yah-given assignment. If Yah has given you a $10 billion assignment, pursue that assignment faithfully and He will give you the $10 billion. We do not receive wealth for ourselves but for carrying out our assignment. That’s why Yahusha told us not to worry about things. Pursue the Kingdom assignment first and the things will be added.




Therefore, in the Kingdom, purpose attracts provision. Whenever a king makes an assignment, he makes full provision for its completion. When Nehemiah received permission from the king of Persia to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls, the king gave him a letter authorizing him to utilize whatever of the king’s resources were necessary, whether wood from the king’s forests or stone from the king’s quarries or tar from the king’s tar pits. Nehemiah embarked on his task confident that he had everything he needed to succeed.




The King of Heaven is the same way. Yah will never assign us something that He does not give us the provisions to complete. Our part is to pursue the end—the assignment; Yah’s part is to supply the means. This is why establishing our priorities is so important. Priority with purpose produces provision.




PROVISION IS TIED TO PURPOSE




When Yahusha wanted to explain to His followers the proper attitude they should take toward provision and the pursuit of things, He chose an example from nature:




Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:25-27)




After encouraging His followers not to worry about daily needs, Yahusha then said that life is more than working for food and other necessities. If all we live for is the next paycheck and making ends meet, then we are missing out on life. He also said that the body is more than just a display rack for fancy clothes. In effect, Yahusha is saying to us, “Your body really wasn’t made to wear clothes. I created your body so that I could come into the earth through you and establish My Kingdom on earth. I want to fulfill an assignment through you, and the clothing you wear is completely immaterial except as they relate to that assignment.”




To drive home the point that it is needless to worry, Yahusha directs their attention to the birds. Birds do not sow seed, they do not reap a harvest and they do not store up food in a barn, and yet they never go hungry because Yah feeds them. First, they do not sow. In other words, birds do not work to live. They live to be birds. Second, they do not reap. Birds do not collect a paycheck. They don’t need to because Yah has already given them everything they need to fulfill their purpose of being birds. Third, they do not store up. Birds do not hoard. They do not become obsessed or stressed out over making sure they have enough for tomorrow or next week or next year. They simply take what they receive each day and are perfectly content. Have you ever heard of a bird with heart trouble or high blood pressure or cancer? I haven’t.




A bird doesn’t try to be a horse. It doesn’t try to be a fish or a monkey or a human. A bird simply preoccupies itself with being a bird. It has no desire to be anything else. It is perfectly content to fulfill its purpose as a bird. Yah created the bird to be that way and He gives the bird everything it needs to be a bird. Yah created the tree in which the bird builds its nest. He provided the twigs the bird gathers to put in the nest as well as the cotton plants from which the bird collects padding for its nest. Yah made the leaves for shading the nest. And He made the wind that enables the bird to fly to its nest and lay its eggs.




The bird has everything it needs to be a perfect bird, and Yah takes care of it. However, if you climbed onto the roof of your house and jumped off in an effort to fly, you would immediately regret your decision! If the fall didn’t kill you, your stay in the hospital would provide you ample time to reconsider your actions. Why couldn’t you fly like a bird? Because flying is not your purpose. Yah’s promise to add “all these things” does not include things to make you bird-like. Provision is tied to purpose. Just as Yah gives the birds everything they need to be birds, He will give us everything we need to fulfill our purpose as Kingdom citizens and royal children of the King.




When we set out to seek the Kingdom and righteousness of Yah, we don’t need to concern ourselves about provisions for the journey because the provisions come with the territory. All we have to do is work at being a Kingdom ambassador, and everything we need for executing that office will be provided for us.




PRINCIPLES




1.The Kingdom principle of addition operates on obedience—faithful observance of Kingdom law and clean living.




2.The rewards of the Kingdom on Yah’s part require right living on our part.




3.In a kingdom, the care and welfare of every citizen is the direct and personal responsibility of the king.




4.All citizens have equal access to the king’s assets.




5.The Kingdom does not operate on works; it operates on favor.




6.When we are about our Kingdom purpose, our King will supply all the provisions we need to do the job.




7.Yah’s desire is that we not live for things but live for His influence.




8.Provision is a by-product of obedience.




9.When we obey the Most High with our whole heart, His blessings will “overtake” us.




10.The principle of provision and prosperity in the Kingdom is access, not ownership or pursuit.




11.True wealth is found not in an abundance of possessions, but in unlimited access to infinite resources.




12.In the Kingdom, assignment determines access.




13.Our part is to pursue the end—the assignment. Yah’s part is to supply the means.




14.Provision is tied to purpose.

THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE OF ADDITION

Matthew chapter 6
















Today we are walking in: The Kingdom Principle of Addition













Today we look to the word-GIVE- H5414 nathan-- to give, grant, permit, ascribe, dedicate, pay wages, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, report








The Torah testifies...............




Deuteronomy 3:18




And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given H5414 you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.













The prophets proclaim..................




Isaiah 40:29




He giveth H5414 power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.








The writings bear witness...........................



Psalm 84:11




For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give H5414 grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.










“Hard work can make you a living, but submission to principles adds to your life.”





THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE OF ADDITION




A long time ago while boarding an airplane I happened to catch one of the flight attendants in a yawn. (I’m glad it wasn’t the pilot!) “Good afternoon,” I said to her. “How are you doing today?”




“I’m tired,” she answered.




“Why are you tired?”




“I have two jobs.”




“Why do you need two jobs?” I asked.




She replied, “I have to pay my bills. I like the finer things of life.”




“So, you’re sleepy?”




“Yes,” she said. “I go right from this job to my other job.”




“So when do you sleep?”




“Oh, every once in a while,” she answered. “Whenever I can.”




“Here was a person who was always running after things. Why? Because she liked “the finer things of life.” Between working two jobs and trying to grab sleep whenever possible, when did she have time to enjoy them? This flight attendant was a young woman but she already looked old, tired, and worn out. Her ceaseless pursuit of things was aging her prematurely.




Sadly, she’s not alone. Most of the people in our modern, consumer-driven culture are in the same situation. Because of their unremitting obsession with things they are perpetually tired, distracted, depressed, irritable and, if not sick already, prime candidates for stress-and anxiety-induced illness. The pursuit of things is detrimental to our health.




Yahusha said it was never meant to be this way. He said that we are not supposed to work for food or water or clothing or any of the other things we need on a regular basis. Those things are supposed to come to us in the natural course of living our lives according to Yah’s design and intention. The reason they do not is because we do not understand the Kingdom of Yah or how it works. Dispelling that misunderstanding and demonstrating how to find fulfillment without frustration is the purpose of this series.




We must understand the Kingdom of Yah in order to avoid the mistake of seeking it merely for its benefits. The Kingdom is not a tool for us to use to get things from Yah. That is not the purpose of the Kingdom. Sometimes we treat faith as if it were a lottery, that if we play it just right we will win the big jackpot. It is easy to abuse the Kingdom message the same way. Blessings and provision are a real, natural, and vital part of Kingdom life, but if we are not careful we will end up making them the object of our faith rather than its natural by-product.




Throughout this series I have told about how “all these things” will be added to those who seek first the Kingdom and righteousness of Yah. We can call this the Kingdom Principle of Addition. It is appropriate now to examine this principle of addition in greater depth. In doing so, we will better understand the King’s plan for His citizens’ provision.




THE TWO PRIORITIES OF YAH




As mentioned previously, when Yahusha came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, He neatly reduced all the issues, concerns, and strivings of humankind into two simple but profound priorities: (1) to seek the Kingdom of Yah and (2) to seek the righteousness of Yah. These two priorities are all-important; everything else is secondary. With that simple message Yahusha destroyed every reason most of us have for going to work. He stripped away the very things that motivate us to get out of bed in the morning. Instead of working to live we are supposed to work for the Kingdom. Instead of living for work we are supposed to live for righteousness. If we do these things, Yahusha promised, Yah will add everything else to us. They will come to us without our having to work or worry over them.




This is the Kingdom way of thinking and living. Yet, we are so thoroughly programmed to concern ourselves every day with our own provision that it is hard to learn to think another way. Yah wants to supply our needs, but as long as we insist on taking charge of it ourselves, we tie His hands. To put it another way, as long as we insist on doing it ourselves, we will never open the door to the abundant things of the Kingdom of Heaven. Self-sufficiency and self-effort are the wrong keys. As we saw in the previous teaching, disposition (Kingdom citizenship) and position (righteousness) are the keys that will open that door. If you want the Kingdom principle of addition to work for you, make sure first of all that you have become a Kingdom citizen through the new birth by faith in Hamachiach and, second of all, that you are living in alignment with Kingdom law. If those two things are in place, the King will add everything else to your life.




The Kingdom principle of addition operates on obedience: faithful observance of Kingdom law and clean living. These are the same standards Yah has always required of His people. Consider these words that Moses spoke to the ancient Israelites:




You will again obey the Most High and follow all His commands I am giving you today. Then the Most High your Yah will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Most High will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as He delighted in your fathers, if you obey the Most High your Yah and keep His commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Most High your Yah with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 30:8-10).




The Israelites were east of the Jordan River, ready to cross over and take possession of Canaan, the land Yah had promised to them as far back as Abraham. They have spent the last 40 years as nomads in the desert, during which time the oldest generation of them, those who were already adults when they left Egypt, have died off due to their rebellion against Yah. Now Yah is renewing His promise to this new generation, which is why Moses said, “You will again obey the Most High,” and “The Most High will again delight in you.” Yah’s renewed promise is to make them prosperous in everything they do: in their work, family life, and in their harvests. In short, Yah promises to provide for them in every way. His stipulation: that they obey His commands and love Him whole-heartedly.




The same stipulation applies to us today. We cannot expect Yah to add things to us if we are living in sin. That is why many of us fret and sweat just to pay our bills every month. We’re not living right. Our lives are out of alignment with Yah’s government. The rewards of the Kingdom on Yah’s part require right living on our part.




Worship alone is not enough. Neither is praying. Right living means making a deliberate, clean break with sin, accompanied by confession if necessary, and a resolute, careful determination to live every day in obedience to the laws of Yah. It means laying aside dishonesty, immorality, coarse or foul language, gossip, slander, backbiting, backstabbing, envy, jealousy, pride, selfish ambition, and lying. Right living means taking up a humble Ruach of submission and service to Yah in which we first love Yah with all our heart and then love our neighbor as ourselves.




THE DIVINE STRATEGY FOR PROVISION




In order to unlock Yah’s divine strategy for provision, we must first somehow break out of our traditional mind-set that says that unless we sweat and labor and strive and concentrate all our energy on our daily needs, they will not be met. Maybe that’s the way you feel. Perhaps you are struggling with this whole idea of seeking first the Kingdom and righteousness of Yah and leaving everything else to Him. All this does not mean that you don’t work to support your family; it means that you don’t obsess over meeting your needs. Instead, you seek to obey Yah in your daily life and trust Him to provide as He has promised.




Yah wants to pay your bills. He knows you need food and water and shelter. He wants you to have a nice house that is suitable for your family. He wants you to have a car. He wants you to have a bike. Yah wants to give you the desires of your heart. As a matter of fact, He wants to fulfill your highest dreams because He is the one who put those dreams in your heart. What He does not want is for you to put your dreams and desires ahead of Him. That’s why Yahusha says that all these things will be added to you.




But what exactly does “added” mean? When Yah adds to your life it means:




1.Things will be attracted to you. They will be added like a magnet.




2.Things will find you. You won’t have to chase them or hunt them down.




3.Things will come to your life. They may appear suddenly and unexpectedly and often from an unexpected source or direction.




4.Things will come without stress. Some people are so tired from working for what they want that when they finally get it they are too stressed out to enjoy it. That’s nothing but foolishness. Life is to be savored and enjoyed, not stressed over. When Yah adds to your life He will add it without stress.




5.Things will be given as a favor and reward, like a gift, not as something you earned.




6.Things will come without struggle. You won’t have to fight or compete or play “keep up with the Joneses.” When it comes, it will be effortless on your part.




7.Things will be seen as natural. When something is added to your life it will come naturally, as if it was inevitable.




8. Things will be given to you as needed. Remember, Yah adds things not for your personal benefit or selfish use alone but for fulfilling His purpose. If you don’t really need something, don’t be surprised if you do not receive it until you do need it.




9.Things will not be pursued. If you are pursuing the Kingdom and righteousness, you won’t have time to pursue other things as your highest priority. That’s why Yah will give them to you.




10.Things will not be your source. Things are commodities, tools, resources to be used to advance Yah’s Kingdom on earth. Don’t look to them as your source of happiness or self-worth or fulfillment. Yah is your source. Look to Him.

HAPPY FEAST OF TABERNACLES

Isaiah Chapter 9













Today we are walking in: Happy Feast Of Tabernacles










Today we look to the word-TABERNACLE- H4908 mishkan-- dwelling place, tabernacle















The Torah testifies...............




Numbers 16:9




Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle H4908 of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?











The prophets proclaim..................






Ezekiel 37:27




My tabernacle H4908 also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.










The writings bear witness...........................






Psalm 43:3




O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. H4908






Tishri 15: Happy Birthday Yahusha and the Feast of Tabernacles is open!




Sukkot is the last of the Biblical Feasts of the year (Moedim or Appointed Times) as instructed in the Torah. It is also the last of the pilgrimage festivals where every male was commanded to come before The Most High as in Passover (Pesach) and Pentecost (Shavuot). Still today many from all over the world come to Jerusalem to worship The Most High if Israel. The Feast of Tabernacles is (we can see it taking place today throughout the world but mainly in Israel) a very joyful celebration filled with love and fellowship. It is amazing how the entire city (am referring here specifically to Jerusalem) transforms as the makeshift huts start to appear in plazas, streets and balconies all over. Sukkot commemorates the time when the Glory of The Most High ‘tabernacled’ with His people in the wilderness for forty years. It was a time of joy and celebration right after the spiritual constriction of Yom Kippur; a time of happiness when The Most High had reconciled with His people and atoned for their sins. The Feast, besides has been a most jubilant event, is a prophetic image of the ushering of the Messianic Era. Zechariah 14 abounds on the prophecy of the Day of The Most High (literally Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey in the Tanach not Day of the Lord as it is translated); verses 16 to 19 go over the future fact that all nations will come to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Basically by keeping the feast we are not only looking backwards to thank our Abba for His blessings but also rehearsing and preparing for the return of Messiah at the End Times.




Unfortunately for most citizens today this feast has no other significance than a mere reference to a tradition of the past (if even this); according to them unnecessary due to the death and resurrection of Yahusha who most affirm ended the keeping of the Torah for the formerly believers in the nations. Paradoxically, especially for Christians, this Feast should be of the outmost relevance since there is biblical evidence that our Savior, the Hebrew Messiah Yahusha was born on Tishri 15, at the head day of the Feast of Tabernacles. I was taught (and believed until recently) that no one knew the day Yahusha was born, that December 25th was a symbolic day chosen by the Church to celebrate the almost seen as mythical story of the nativity in the Gospels. Little did I know that not only December 25th is somberly associated with the pagan saturnalia and the birthday of major pagan false gods. The early Christian Church practiced paganism it is evident that due to the influence of the Roman emperors (mostly Constantine) and the internal need to accommodate the pagan celebrations, they compromised agreeing to syncretize the birth of Yahusha (allegedly not specified in the Gospels) with the known holidays of the Greco-Roman world. Yet the birth date of Yahusha can be traced back to the date as events unfold thanks to markers left by the Gospel writers. Those markers, so evident to me now, remained ignored until I decided to get myself up from the slumber and go back to the days of the original apostles in order to re-discover my faith.




The first chapter of Luke goes further backward in time than the other 3 Gospels writers to tell us about the parents of John the Baptist. Zacharias was a Priest “of the course of Abia”; Elizabeth his wife “was of the daughters of Aaron”. He goes on to say that “they were both righteous before The Most High, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Most High blameless”. Here is the first marker that synchronizes everything: the course of Abia or Aviyah. King David had organized the Temple service and subdivided the priests offices in 24 courses that would serve twice a year (I Chronicles 24:10); Aviyah was the eighth course of the priests. The cohenim (priests) of the first course of Yehoyariv began their service in the first week of the year, the first day of Nissan (first month of the year; the month of the Aviv barley when we celebrate Passover –March-April in the Gregorian calendar). Each course was to last from Sabbath to Sabbath (one week) in a way that in the Sabbath there were always two courses ministering concurrently. Zacharias’ course would come to serve on the seventh Sabbath from First Fruits (the Sunday after the following weekly Sabbath after the first day one of Passover) also the 49th day of the counting of the omer, meaning they will minister in the Temple on the fiftieth day, Shavuot (the word Pentecost derives from five -penta in Latin- or fifty). This was the day Zacharias was chosen, by casting lots, to offer incense on the altar in the Temple (cohenim were only supposed to do this once in their life time). Six months later, the course of Aviyah was back again to minister but this week did not fall on any of the major feasts (it was prior to the Feast of Hanukkah some time in November) so there was no reason to be such great crowds in the Temple as we see in Luke 1:10 and 1:22. During the Feast of Shavuot Zacharias was officiating in the Temple when the angel Gabriel appeared to him to announce the good news that they were going to have a son in spite of their old age. Luke 1:24 continues: “And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived (…)”. So we can easily corroborate that John the Baptist was conceived within two to three weeks after the new moon of the month of Sivan (May-June). Some theories synchronize the ovulation in women with the full moon (since we are talking about conception) which is the middle point between the new moon and the term of the waxing crescent, commonly around the fifteenth day of the month.




The second marker can be found at the moment when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary to announce the conception of Yahusha. Luke 1:26-27 reads: “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from The Most High unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary”. The angel also declares to Mary: “36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.” This means the conception of Yahusha takes place six months later in the month of kislev (November-December). We must not be ignorant that our Heavenly Father sets His dates around His Moedim, His Appointed Times. I do not consider it then to be unreasonable to state Yahusha was conceived during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah was not a biblical feast but it was still vetted by the Father through the miracle of the oil for the lamps usually enough for a day lasting throughout the entire week. This miracle took place when the Feast was established for the first time after the rededication of the Temple by 165 BCE. Yahusha kept the Feast as well at the Temple (John 8:12) where He said: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”.




The rest is just pure simple counting. If Yahusha was conceived during the festival of Hanukkah around mid-December, forty weeks later, His birth would fall on Sukkot , and again going by the prophetic character of The Most High, Tishri 15 will be the target. Also the fact that Mary and Joseph received the baby in a ‘manger’, technically a Sukkah is confirmation that they were in the days of the Feast. The justification that the inn was full for a woman in labor is not a reason strong enough to give birth or to nurse a child in a hut; in fact Luke 2 does not say he was born in the manger, it reads: “7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn”. The reason why this took place is because the Messiah was to ‘tabernacle’ with men, the same way the Glory of The Most High did in the times of Moses. He was to level Himself with the Abba also establishing He had to humble down to the Majesty of The Most High as a testimony for His people. The reading and translations of today’s Christian world have mentally and spiritually fogged this amazing connection to the prophetic that Yahusha not only came to show us all but to display in front of our very eyes. Why choose to remain ignorant of this?




Just looking at this from the surface (there are more astrologically sustained and better calculated explanations for the Tishri 15 birth that can be consulted), I believe we have by far more indications and biblical pointers for a Tishri 15 birthday than the explicitly wrong December 25th. Since our current calendar is completely out of synchrony with the biblical calendar, His calendar, Tishri 15 will float a week or so from year to year in ours, a great inconvenience for retailers that must organize their sales and discounts around specific dates and can’t be waiting to verify if the new moon was sighted or if the barley was Aviv or not making the year shorter or longer. How are they going to have their advertisement ready for the shopping season! Our western mentalities have lost contact with the things that are at the Heart of the Abba, including the true character and personality of His Messiah, those things kept for generations by His people and honored as well by Yahusha when He walked the earth. We must recover the lost truth about our faith and stop repeating the same errors year after year as the Friday crucifixion and a two days later resurrection; when he clearly said it will be THREE DAYS with its nights. Not sure if it is we want to be ignorant or remain being fooled. I also understand such drastic corrections will throw any person’s life out of orbit all of a sudden but The Most High is patient and merciful. He gave us His only begotten Son and His Instructions, His perfect Torah, to guide us through the thicket. We just have to read the Gospels with a sincere desire for the truth and be aware we have been ‘snared’ (‘skandalisē’ commonly translated as ‘offended’ in the Gospels). Come out of the trap into the Truth. Pray to Yahusha to open the scriptures for you as He did for His disciples. Let us rejoice with the fact that the Light ‘tabernacled’ among us and those who are of the Light will follow Him in Spirit and in Truth.




Happy Birthday brother Yahusha!

DYNAMICS OF TESHUVAH

Psalm chapter 51










Today we are walking in: Dynamics Of Teshuvah!!!!










Today we look to- RETURN -H7725 shuv--to turn back, return, to bring back, to be returned, be restored, be brought back






The Torah testifies...............


Genesis 3:19


In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return H7725 unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. H7725








The prophets proclaim..................


Hosea 5:15


I will go and return H7725 to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.








The writings bear witness...........................


2 Chronicles 30:9


For if ye turn again H7725 unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again H7725 into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return H7725 unto him.









The Dynamics of Teshuva

"Most High, I am a sinner. I would like to return, to do teshuvah!" The Most High looked at the man before him. He did not understand what the man wanted. "So why don't you do teshuvah?" "Most High, I do not know how!" The Most High retorted. "How did you know to sin?" The remorseful sinner answered simply. "I acted, and then I realized that I had sinned." "Well," said the Most High, "the same applies to teshuvah, repent and the rest will follow of itself!"
Torah: The Ground Rules

Revelation is the foundation of a restored relationship.

Revelation constitutes the basic premises of the original relationship in the garden of Eden.


There is the Revealer. The Most High exists. He is real.

The Most High speaks to man. The Most High not only exists, He also cares. He is a personal, the Most High.



There is (Divine Providence).



Because The Most High cares, like a loving and concerned parent cares for his child, He reveals to us what we should know about reality. He guides us and teaches us the way wherein we are to walk and the acts that we must do.



This is Torah, the "Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it." The Most High's word, the Revelation, is called Torah. For Torah means instruction; It instructs and reveals that which was hidden, unknown. It teaches man to walk in the right path. It counsels him how to return to his Abba.



Revelation, the Torah in all its immensity of 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions, is realistic. It is not alien to man and physical reality. It is not overlapped from without. It is not hidden from you nor far off. It is not in the heavens that you should say: Who shall go up for us to the heavens?


Neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us? It is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it. Deuteronomy 30:12-13



Torah is not attached to the world. It precedes and transcends the world. It is the blueprint for Creation. The Holy One, The Most High, looked into the Torah and created the world.



The universe, man, all that exists, was created, fashioned and made on the basis of, and suited to, the contents and requirements of Torah. This allows for the possibility, and thus the demand, that man - every one of us - can live up to the obligations and ideals of Torah. ("The Most High does not impose burdensome precepts upon His creatures; He comes to man according to his own strength...according to the ability of each individual.")



We are bound up with Torah in a reciprocal relationship.



As Torah is the blueprint for the universe, the universe reflects all components of Torah. And as it is with the whole, so it is with the rest of creation, with man.



The human body and the human soul reflect the 613 precepts: 248 organs corresponding to the 248 commandments; 365 veins corresponding to the 365 prohibitions.



Observance of the positive precepts animates the relative organs, attaches them to Divinity and elicits for them Divine illumination, vitality and energy.
Observance of the prohibitions protects the relative veins and vessels against contamination, against influences alien to their nature and purpose.


The Nature of Sin



Revelation, Torah, the life based upon it, constitutes morality, virtue, goodness. What constitutes sin?



On the simple level, sin means breaking the law, violating the Torah by acts of omission or commission. Our duties are spelled out clearly. The law is defined. To ignore the letter or the spirit of the law, let alone to violate it, that is sin.



On a deeper level, the meaning of sin is indicated in its Hebrew terminology. The general term for it is aveirah. It is of the root avar - to pass or cross over, to pass beyond. Aveirah means a trespass, a transgression, a stepping across the limits and boundaries of propriety to the "other side."
More specific words are chet, aavon, pesha.



Chet is of a root meaning to miss, to bear a loss. Aavon is of a root meaning to bend, twist, pervert. Pesha is of a root meaning to rebel.



Technically, legalistically, chet refers to inadvertent sins; aavon to conscious misdeeds; and pesha to malicious acts of rebellion.



Sin, thus, is a move away from the Most High, away from truth.



"Your sins separate you from The Most High" who is truly "your life." It separates us from Torah, our lifeline, that which attaches us to the source of our life and all blessings.
To neglect the commandments is to deprive ourselves of the illumination and vitality which their observance draws upon us, to forfeit an opportunity, to render ourselves deficient: chata'im, at a loss. To violate the prohibitions is to defile the body, to blemish the soul, to cause evil to become attached.



Sin offers man temporary gains, but it is altogether irrational, self-defeating. Attractive and sweet at the outset, but bitter in the end. Thus, "The Most High, the Holy One, is stounded: How is it possible that a person will sin?!"



"No person will commit a sin unless a spirit of folly has entered into him." Sin is an act of ignorance or foolishness. Invariably it can be traced to lack of knowledge, to negligence or carelessness. If premeditated, let alone an act of willful rebellion, it is outright stupidity. Either way, it is rooted in carelessness, in shortsightedness, in failure to think. It follows upon a blinding obsession with the here and now, egocentricity, self-righteousness.



The Principle of Teshuvah



The folly of sin derives from man's physical nature.



What is man? A composite of body and soul. The soul is spiritual. By its very nature it reaches out to, and strives for, spirituality. The body is material, and thus attracted to the allurements of its own elements, of matter. Yet these two are combined. The soul is removed from its "supernal peak to be vested in the lowly body.



This "descent" is for the purpose of an "ascent": to elevate and sublimate the physicality of the body and the matter to which it is related in its lifetime.



There is tension between body and soul, between matter (and the natural or animalistic life-force that animates and sustains it), and the neshamah, the sublime soul and spirit of man. But they are not irreconcilable.



The body per se is neither evil nor impure. It is potentiality: not- yet-holy, even as it is not-yet-profane.



Man's actions, the actions and behavior of the body-soul compound, determine its fall into the chambers of defilement or its ascent to be absorbed in holiness.



To succeed in elevating and transfering the body and its share in this world is an elevation for the soul as well. It is precisely the exposure to temptation, the risks of worldliness, the possibility of alternatives and the incumbent free will of man, that allow for achievement, for ultimate self-realization.



"The body of man is a wick, and the light (soul) is kindled above it......"The light on a man's head must have oil, that is, good deeds." The wick by itself is useless if not lit. The flame cannot burn in a vacuum; it cannot produce light nor cling to the wick without oil.



Torah and mitzvot, good deeds, unite the wick and the flame, the body and the soul, to actualize inherent potentiality, to produce a meaningful entity.
The neshamah, the soul, a spark of The Most High within us, fills us with practically unlimited potential. Man is granted the power to make of himself whatever he likes, in effect to determine his destiny.



The veracity of mundane temptation, however, is no less real. Sin crouches at the door.



Torah confronts this fact: "There is no man so righteous on earth that he does good and never sins."



If sin was final, the history of mankind would have begun and ended with Adam. The Creator took this into account.



The original intent was to create the world on the basis of strict justice. As The Most High foresaw that such a world could not endure, He caused the attribute of mercy to precede the attribute of justice and allied them.



"When the Most High, created the world, He consulted the Torah about creating man. Who said to Him: `The man You want to create will sin before You, he will provoke You to anger. If you will deal with him commensurate to his deeds, neither the world nor man will be able to exist before you!' The Most High then replied to the Torah: `Is it for nothing that I am called the Compassionate and Gracious The Most High, long-suffering?'



Thus, before creating the world, the the Most High, created teshuvah (repentance), and said to it: "I am about to create man in the world, but on condition that when they turn to you because of their sins, you shall be ready to erase their sins and to atone for them!"



Teshuvah thus is forever close at hand, and when man returns from his sins, this teshuvah returns to the Most High, and he atones for all - all judgments are suppressed and sweetened, and man is purified from his sins.
How is he purified from his sins?



By ascending with this teshuvah in proper manner.



When he returns before the Supreme King and prays from the depths of his heart, as it is written: "From the depths I call unto You, oh The Most High!"
Torah, the rules and regulations for life, preceded the world and served as its blueprint. These rules demand strict adherence. "But for the Torah, heaven and earth cannot endure, as it is said: `If not for My covenant by day and by night, I had not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth.'"



Sin means to defeat the purpose of Creation, to deprive creation of all meaning. This must result in the world's reversion to nothingness. Thus the need for the attribute of mercy, of compassion.



Mercy means to recognize the legitimacy of justice, yet to show compassion, to forgive nonetheless.



Mercy means to recognize the valid demands of the law, but also to temper these demands by considering the fact that "the drive of man's heart is evil yet from his youth." It offers another chance. This is the principle of teshuvah.


The Power of Teshuvah
As for the wicked man, if he should return from all his sins that he committed and guard all my decrees, and do justice and righteousness, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions which he committed will not be remembered against him....Do I then desire the death of the wicked, says The Most High, the Eternal One, is it not rather his return from his ways, that he may live? (Ezekiel 18)


Teshuvah is a principle indispensable to relationships, indispensable to the existence of individuals living in the Torah. For it is impossible for man not to sin and err - either by erroneously adopting an opinion or moral quality which in truth is not commendable, or else by being overcome by passion and anger.


If man were to believe that this fracture can never be remedied, he would persist in his error and perhaps even add to his disobedience.


The belief in teshuvah, however, leads him to improvement, to come to a state that is better, nearer to perfection, than that which obtained before he sinned. That is why the Torah prescribes many actions that are meant to establish this correct and very useful principle of teshuvah."


Without teshuvah the world could not endure. Without teshuvah man could not but despair, crushed by the burden of his errors. Torah is the foundation of the universe, it assures and sustains its existence. Teshuvah insures its survival.


The power of teshuvah is overawing.


There is absolutely nothing that stands in the way of teshuvah. The thread of teshuvah is woven throughout the whole tapestry of Torah, of our tradition. It is not simply a mitzvah, one of 613 channels to tie us to The Most High. It is a general, all-comprehensive principle, the backbone of relationship with the King of kings!


There is no sin that cannot be mended and remedied by teshuvah.
Teshuvah removes a burdensome past and opens the door to a new future. It means renewal, rebirth.


The ba'al teshuvah becomes a different, a new, person.


It is much more than correction, more than modification.


Teshuvah elevates to a status even higher than the one prior to all sin. Even the perfectly righteous are surpassed by the ba'al teshuvah.


Sin is time-consuming.


It is an evolutionary process. Man does not fall at once, suddenly. He is trapped by one wrong act or attitude, often seemingly innocuous, which leads to another. When failing to recognize and stop this process, a chain reaction is set into motion and leads to the mire of evil.


Teshuvah, however, even in the worst of cases, is immediate.


"Ba'alai teshuvah are explamentory. For in the span of one instant they draw close to the Most High, more so than the perfectly righteous who draw near, over the span of many years!"


As teshuvah is not part of a gradual process and development, it is not subject to any order, to the "bureaucracy" of a normative procedure.


It is a jump, a leap. A momentary decision to tear oneself away. One turn. One thought.


And thus it affects even law, justice: When someone betrothes a woman on condition that "I am a tzaddik, a righteous person without sin," the betrothal is valid and binding even if he was known to be absolutely wicked. How so? Because at that very moment of proposal he may have meditated teshuvah in his mind!


The single thought, the momentary meditation of teshuvah, is sufficient to move man from the greatest depths to the greatest heights.


Just one thought, indeed; for the essence of teshuvah is in the mind, in the heart. It is a mental decision, an act of consciousness, awareness, commitment.


The Nature of Teshuvah
Where does the enormous potency of teshuvah come from? How can it erase the past, change the present, mold the future-recreate, as it were?


The power of teshuvah derives from its transcendent nature.


Like Torah, teshuvah preceded the Creation. It is not part of the world, of Creation, of a creative process. It is beyond time, beyond space, rooted in infinity. In the sphere of infinity, past and present fade into oblivion.


Teshuvah is in the heart, in the mind. One thought of teshuvah is enough. For thought, the mind, is not restricted by the limitations of the body.


The mind can traverse the universe in seconds. And the mind-machshavah, thought-is man, the essence of man. Man is where his thoughts are.


Fasting, self-mortification, may be means through which man expresses remorse. They may be acts of purification, of self-cleansing. But they do not constitute teshuvah. Teshuvat hamishkal, penance commensurate to the sin, "to balance the scales," is important. So is teshuvat hageder, the voluntary erection of protective "fences" to avoid trespassing.


Empirical reality may dictate such modes of behavior corresponding to certain forms of weakness. However, these deal with symptoms only.


They relate to specific acts that constitute the external manifestation of sin. They do not touch sin itself. They do not tackle the root and source from which sin grows. That root and source is in the mind, in the heart: ignorance, carelessness, neglect, wrong attitudes, egocentricity, self-justification.
Just as sin is rooted in man's will and mind, so must teshuvah be rooted in man's will and mind.


"He who sets his heart on becoming purified (from ritual defilement) becomes pure as soon as he has immersed himself (in the waters of a mikveh), though nothing new has befallen his body. So, too, it is with one who sets his heart on cleansing himself from the impurities that beset man's soul - namely, wrongful thoughts and false convictions: as soon as he consents in his heart to withdraw from those counsels and brings his soul into the waters of reason, he is pure."


(Note the analogy between teshuvah and the purifying waters of a mikveh).
teshuvah is more than a mikveh; it is like the sea, immersion in which also effects purification. A mikveh is subject to limitations of time and space. It is limited to a distinct location (a building), and is not always accessible or available. The sea, however, transcends these limitations: it is always accessible and available, if not in one particular spot then in another.


"Teshuvah is like the sea which is never barred, so that whoever desires to bathe in it can do so whenever he desires."


The tragedy of sin is not so much the transgression itself, to succumb to temptation, for "there is no man on earth..... that he never sins."


The real tragedy, the ultimate sin, is the failure to judge oneself, the failure to do teshuvah, "he has left off to contemplate to do good....does not abhor evil."


Better one self-reproach in the heart of man than numerous lashings.


As the bacteria, poisonous and infectious, are eliminated, their symptoms and outgrowths will disappear as well. And as sins cease, sinners will be no more. Thus teshuvah, the teshuvah that deals with the essence of sin, brings healing into the world.


This is not to understate the external symptoms of sin. For with every transgression "man acquires a kateigar, a prosecutor, against himself." The act of sin assumes reality. It clings to man, it attaches itself to him - leading him further astray in this world only to accuse him later in the hereafter.


On the other hand, everything in Creation is categorized in terms of matter and form (body and soul). The act of sin, its external manifestation, is the matter (the body) of sin, which creates the kateigar. The underlying thought, the intent, the will or passion that generated the transgression, is the form (the soul) that animates and sustains that body.


Self-mortification attacks that body and may destroy that matter. But only a change of heart, conscious remorse, is able to confront its form, its soul.
Only the elimination of the thought, intent and desire that caused the sin, will eliminate the soul of the kateigar. And when deprived of its soul, the kateigar ceases to exist.


Thus "rend your heart and not your garments, and return unto The Most High, The Most High, for He is gracious and compassionate, long-suffering and abounding in kindness....." When rending the heart in teshuvah there is no need to rend one's garments


The Disposition of the Ba'al Teshuvah
Teshuvah is essentially in the heart, in the mind. It is related to the faculty of binah, understanding.



There cannot be teshuvah without a consciousness of reality: understanding what is required. Recognition of one's status. Introspection. Searing soul-searching. Honest self-evaluation that opens the eyes of the mind and causes a profound sense of embarrassment: How could I have acted so foolishly? How could I have been so blind and dumb in the face of the Most High, the Omnipresent "Who in His goodness renews each day, continuously, the work of Creation?" How could I forsake the Ultimate, the Absolute, for some transient illusion? As the prophet laments: "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that hold no water!"



Teshuvah is directly related to bushah-shame, embarrassment.
The Hebrew word teshuvah contains the letters of boshet; transposing the letters of shuvah (return), offers the word busha (shame). For bushah is an indication of teshuva.
Bushah, a sense of shame, flows from an illuminating grasp of reality. It is the proof of true regret over, and of a break with, the past. It is identical with teshuvah. To achieve that level is assurance of forgiveness: He who commits a sin and is ashamed of it, all his sins are forgiven him!



It takes understanding to do teshuvah:
"His heart shall understand, and he will return, and it shall be healed for him." That is why first we pray: "...bestow upon us wisdom, understanding and knowledge," and only then: "bring us back to You in complete teshuvah."
Wisdom, understanding, knowledge, are prerequisites for teshuvah.



It takes knowledge to separate right from wrong. Only the wise know to distinguish between holy and profane, between pure and impure. Thus teshuvah is identical with binah.
The ba'al teshuvah becomes aware that sin is a partition between The Most High and man. Sin disturbs the balance of the universe, sundering its unity. "He who transgresses the precepts of the Torah causes a defect, as it were, above; a defect below; a defect in himself; a defect to all worlds."



The word teshuvah can be read as tashuv-hey - returning, restoring the hey.....for when man sins he causes the letter hey to be removed from the Divine Name.



The Divine Name, the manifestation of The Most High-likeness, is no longer whole. The hey has been severed, leaving the other three letters to spell hoy, the Biblical exclamation for woe.
(The word teshuvah is divisible into these two components: tashuv-hey. Note that the letter hey represents the physical world: this world was created with the hey, because it is like an exedra (closed on three sides and open on the fourth), and whosoever wishes to go astray may do so (has the choice to let himself fall through the open bottom of the hey).



And why is the `leg' of the hey suspended (leaving an opening at the side, from above)? To indicate that whosoever repents is permitted to re-enter.)



"Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil.... woe to them that they are wise in their own eyes....." In turn, "he who does teshuvah causes the hey to be restored...and the redemption depends on this."



Teshuvah restores the hey, which to makes complete again the Holy Name, re-establishes unity, frees the soul.
"Teshuvah corrects everything - it rectifies above, rectifies below, rectifies the penitent, rectifies the whole universe."
The bushah of teshuvah relates only initially to the past. It develops further into an awareness of personal insignificance in the presence of Divine Majesty. On this higher level it signifies bitul ha-yesh (total self-negation). It diverts one's sights from concern with self to concern with the Ultimate. Thus it ignites a consuming desire to be restored to and absorbed in the Divine Presence: "My soul thirsts for The Most High, for the living The Most High - when shall I come and be seen in the Presence of The Most High...."
"Oh The Most High, You are The Most High, I seek You earnestly. My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You, in a dry and weary land without water.... or Your loving-kindness is better than life......"
This longing of the ba'al teshuvah is more intense than that of the tzaddik, the saint who never sinned. Having been removed from The Most High-likeliness, the ba'al teshuvah wants to make up for lost time, for lost opportunities.



The energy and passion once expended on nonsense and improprieties are now directed, in ever-increasing measure, towards good. He reaches out with all strength, and thus prompted, leaps to levels unattainable by the tzaddik.
His former transgressions, now responsible for his efforts and achievements, are thus sublimated. His descent, in effect, generated his ascent. The former sins are thus converted into veritable merits.



The status requiring teshuvah is coupled with grief, heart-breaking remorse. The possibility of teshuvah generates hope, faith, confidence: "The heart being firm and certain in The Most High that He desires to show kindness, and is gracious and compassionate, generously forgiving the instant one pleads for His forgiveness and atonement. Not the faintest vestige of doubt dilutes this absolute conviction." Teshuvah is thus marked by great joy as well.
Joy is not only a motivating force for the act of teshuvah, but also a necessary result of it.



For every step away from sin is a step closer to virtue.
Every move away from the darkness of evil is a move closer to the light of goodness, coming ever closer to The Most High.
This fact must fill the heart with joy, a true and encompassing joy and happiness, even as the lost child rejoices in having found the way home.
Indeed, this deep sense of joy, filling one's whole being, is the very test and proof of sincere teshuvah.
The Universality of Teshuvah
The conventional translation for teshuvah is repentance. This, however, is but one aspect, the aspect related to error, to sins of omission or commission.
The literal and real translation is "return." Return implies a two-fold movement. There is a source of origin from which one moved away and to which one wants to return.
The descent of the soul into this world is a move away.
Regardless of the lofty purposes to be achieved, the sublime goals to be attained, the fact remains that it is an exile. For the soul in its pristine state is bound up and absorbed in its source, in the very "bond of life with The Most High."
From this Place of Glory, the manifest Presence of The Most High, the soul is vested in a physical body, related to matter, exposed to and involved with the very converse of spirituality, of holiness.
To retain that original identity, to regain that original bond, that is the ultimate meaning of teshuvah. "And the spirit returns unto The Most High who gave it."
Teshuvah tata'a, the lower level of teshuvah, is rectification, an erasure of the past.
On a higher level, teshuvah is "coming home," a reunion. The child separated and lost, driven to return with a consuming passion, pleads: "It is Your countenance, The Most High, that I seek! Do not conceal Your countenance from me!"
The innermost point of the heart longs for Divinity so intensely that "his soul is bonded to the love of The Most High, continuously enraptured by it like the love-sick whose mind is never free from his passion.... and as Solomon expressed allegorically: `For I am sick with love.'
This higher sense of teshuvah - teshuvah ila'a, supreme teshuvah - relates to the tzaddik, the faultless, as well.
The Torah is given to all of Israel, to every Hebrew. Nothing in Torah is unnecessary. Nothing in Torah is the exclusive heritage of some only. Everything in Torah speaks to every individual, relates to every one. It is only by way of the whole Torah that anyone can become a whole person. Every mitzvah serves its purpose. Every instruction is directly relevant to the macrocosm of the universe and the microcosm of every man.
Teshuvah is an integral part of Torah.
It manifests itself in numerous precepts and instructions.
"Every one of the prophets charged the people concerning teshuvah." Teshuvah thus must relate to the righteous, to the saint, no less than to the sinner. Alternatively, the righteous would be missing out on a significant part of Torah. Teshuvah ila'a thus relates to the tzaddik as well.
Teshuvah ila'a reaches where a normative ascent, a behavior that is faultless yet gradual and normative, cannot reach. It moves man to jump, to leap, blinding him to everything but his objective, disregarding all and any obstacles in the pursuit and attainment of the ultimate goal. In this context the tzaddik, too, becomes a ba'al teshuvah, "one possessed of teshuvah," a personification of teshuvah.
Teshuvah ila'a does not mean a withdrawal of man from the world.
It reveals The Most High *IN* the world: omnipresence in the most literal sense, an encompassing awareness and a penetrating consciousness of the reality and presence of The Most High.
"To cleave unto Him, for He is your life;" ..."there is nothing else beside Him."
There is a total negation of ego, a total submersion of personal will in the Supreme Will. Not two entities brought together, but absorption and union to the point of unity.
"This mitzvah which I command you this day is not beyond your reach nor is it far off...." Generally, this verse refers to the entire Torah.
In context with the preceding passage it is also interpreted to refer specifically to the principle of teshuvah. "Even if your outcasts be in the outermost parts of Heaven"... and you are under the power of the nations, you can yet return unto The Most High and do "according to all that I command you this day." For teshuvah "is not beyond reach nor is it far off," but "it is exceedingly near to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it."
"One hour of bliss in the World to Come is better than all the life of this world." Yet "one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in *THIS* world is better than all the life in the World to Come!"


"Well," said the Most High says, "do teshuvah, and the rest will follow of itself!"

FORGIVENESS IN LIGHT OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE

Psalm 51













Today we are walking in: Forgiveness In Light Of The Hebrew Language










Today we look to the word- FORGIVE- H5375 nāśā'- a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative:—accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ( man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, × needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, swear, take (away, up), utterly, wear, yield.










The Torah Testifies…………





Exodus 10:17




Now therefore forgive H5375, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.









The Prophets Proclaim………..





Jeremiah 36:3




It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive H5375 their iniquity and their sin.










The Writings Bear Witness………





Psalm 86:5




For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive H5375; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.







​Forgiveness in the Light of the Hebrew Language




Shabbat

A noun formed from it, answering to the modern Arabic Khephr, is sometimes used to signify a village as a place of shelter, e.g. Caper-naum (The village of Nahum).




In about eighty passages of the 154 instances in the Hebrew Old Testament, kaphar is translated "to atone" or "to make atonement." It is interesting to notice that the cover of the ark, the mercy seat, as it is described in Exodus 25 and Leviticus 16, is the noun kapporeth derived from kaphar.




In nine places in the English Bible kaphar is translated "purge." Psalm '79:9 is an illustration of this: "Help us, O The Most High of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away [kaphar} our sins, for thy name's sake." When the words "purge away" are given as the translation of kaphar, then it is suggested that the "making atonement" is strongly connected with "purging sins." The same is true in these few passages where kaphar is translated "be merciful," "put off," "be pacified," or "pardon."




In the English Bible kaphar is used three times to express the idea "forgive."




Be merciful, O Most High, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven [kaphar] them."




When the first innocent blood was shed the Most High said to Cain, "Thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground" (Gen. 4:10). Literally, it is said to Israel, "The blood shall be covered [kaphar]" and the means of covering is that "the blood shall be atoned [kaphar]." In the Psalms we find the second use of kaphar to express the idea "forgive."




But he, being full of compassion, forgave [kaphar] their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.'




The seventy-eighth psalm describes The Most High's wonders toward Israel both in Egypt and in the desert. It is literally said that The Most High because of His compassion "covered [ka­phar] their iniquity" or "made atonement [kaphar] for their iniquity."




The third passage where we find "for­give" given as the translation of kaphar is in the book of Jeremiah:




Yet, The Most High, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive [kaphar] not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.'




In this verse Jeremiah speaks against those who make devices against him as the Most High's prophet. Literally, he says to the Most High, "Thou shalt not cover [kaphar] their iniquity." The intensive form of kaphar is used in this passage; by the use of kaphar Jeremiah indicates that he has in mind the Most High's atoning covering of sin.




Naga'




Naga' and its derivatives appear in the Hebrew Bible about six hundred and fifty times.' The meaning of this verb is first "the lifting up; secondly, the carrying; and thirdly, the taking away of a burden." "




The three basic ideas of naga' are illustrated by the following verses:




Deut. 32:40. "For I lift up [flak'] my hand unto heaven, and say, I live for ever."




Gen. 46:5. "And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried [nage] Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry [flake] him.




Amos 4:2. "The Most High hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away [nave] with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks."




It is interesting to notice that naga' is one of the Hebrew words used to represent acceptance. This is the case thirteen times. Its use is illustrated from the story of Lot praying for Sodom, where the Most High says to Lot, "See, I have accepted [nagal] thee concerning this thing also" (Gen. 19:21).




In the English Bible we find some fifteen passages " where "forgive" is the translation of naga', and in each instance it implies that the sin is "taken away," as exemplified in Hosea 14:2, "Take away [naga] all iniquity." Naga' means "forgiveness" or "taking away sin" only because it implies that an "atonement" is made. The Levitical law states that if a man transgresses the law then "shall [he] bear [nagal his iniquity" (Lev. 5:17). But each man who has sinned against the Most High will feel like Cain after he had killed his brother, "My punishment [the sin and its consequences] is greater than I can bear [naga] (Gen. 4:13).




In the Levitical law it is taught that the priest made atonement for the congregation by eating "the sin offering in the holy place" and in this way did "bear [nagal the in­iquity of the congregation" (Lev. 10:17). Prophetically it is said of HaMaschiach, "He bare [flak'] the sin of many" (Isa. 53:12).




When the idea "forgiveness" is expressed by naga' then the three basic meanings of this Hebrew word are interpreting in an expressive way one aspect of the doctrine of forgiveness. Naga' stands for the "lifting up" of the burden of sin. HaMaschiach is "bear­ing" it, and in this way it is "taken away."




Salach

Salach and its derivatives appear approximately fifty times. This root is translated thirty-three times "forgive," twice "forgive­ness," once "spare," and fourteen times "pardon." Gesenius says about this word: "The primary idea seems to be that of lightness, lifting up."'




It has been noticed that in each place salach is used it expresses the divine pardon extended to the sinner. No other idea has been assigned to it. In no case has the word been used of human forgiveness be­tween men. The following two passages exemplify the use of salach:




Ex. 34:9. "And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O The Most High, let The Most High, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon [salach] our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance."




1 Kings 8:30. "And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive [salach]."




It has been noticed that salach is given to those who "turn to The Most High," "give sup­plications," or "that seeketh the truth." To the one "whose heart turneth away .. . from the The Most High" it is said, " The Most High will not spare [salach] him" (Deut. 29:20).




The full use and application of salach is summarized:

It appears, on the whole, that the process repre­sented by this word Salach is the Divine restoration of an offender into favor, whether through his own repentance or in the intercession of another. Though not identical with atonement, the two are nearly related. In fact, the covering of the sin and the forgiveness of the sinner can only be understood as two aspects of one truth: for both found their fullness in The Most High's provision of mercy through HaMaschiach.




Conclusion




That the divine pardon extended to the sinner is different from human forgiveness is suggested by the usage of the Hebrew word salach, for in no case has this word been used of human forgiveness between men, but only to express the divine favor and pardon toward a sinner. The divine forgiveness as a gift is portrayed in the following way:




Forgiveness, reconciliation with the Most High, comes to us, not as a reward for our works, it is not bestowed because of the merit of sinful men, but it is a gift unto us, having in the spotless righteousness of HaMaschiach its foundation for bestowal."




When the Old Testament of the English Bible has "to forgive" as the translation of the Hebrew work kaphar, then a close connection and conception is suggested between forgiveness and justification. In the Psalms it is said of the Most High, "But he, being full of compassion, forgave [kaphar] their iniquity, and destroyed them not." Literally this verse says, "But he, being full of compassion, covered their iniquity." The idea that sin can be covered does not seem strange to the writers of the New Testament. The apostle Peter says, "Love covers up a mass of sins." "




HaMaschiach describes in the parable of the wedding garment, in the twenty-second chapter of Matthew, how the Most High covers our sins.




Only the covering which HaMaschiach Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in the Most High's presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, HaMaschiach will put upon every repenting, believing soul. . . . HaMaschiach in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. . . . Then as the The Most High looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the naked­ness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of the Most High."




When a person's sins are forgiven, then it implies that he stands covered by the righteousness of HaMaschiach and is in the eyes of the Most High justified. "From a positive point of view, when this word is used in its deepest meaning, its content is the same as 'forgiveness of sins.' "




Not only does the Hebrew word kaphar point to a synonymous conception of for­giveness and justification, it also suggests a close connection between forgiveness and atonement. The idea "to make an atone­ment," as it is found in the Old Testament of the English Bible, is a translation of kaphar. In the Levitical law the following command was given to the sinner:




And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the The Most High for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atone­ment [kaphar] for him ['alayew] concerning his sin."




Literally it is said, "And the priest cov­ered over him concerning his sin." The death of HaMaschiach has its source in the Most High's de­sire to forgive and its effect in the covering of sin is suggested by kaphar, which describes forgiveness as the atoning covering of sins.




The Hebrew word naga' suggests a broad conception of the doctrine of forgiveness, namely the actual reclaiming from sin.




But forgiveness has a broader meaning than many suppose. When the Most High gives the promise that He "will abundantly pardon," He adds, as if the meaning of that promise exceeded all that we could comprehend: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Most High. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:7-9. The Most High's forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart. David had the true conception of forgiveness when he prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, 0 Most High; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10. And again he says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us' Psalm 103:12




In the Psalms, David prays: "Forgive [naal all my sins." The Hebrew word naga' is also one of the words used to con­vey the truth of acceptance by the Most High. This twofold purpose of forgiveness suggested by nas'a':




David's repentance was sincere and deep. There was no effort to palliate his crime. No desire to escape the judgments threatened, inspired his prayer. But he saw the enormity of his transgression against the Most High; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. David did not in despair give over the struggle. In the promises of the Most High to repentant sinners, he saw the evidence of his par­don and acceptance.




David's conception of sin was in the sphere of his perverted will and the evil inclination of his heart. He not only asked for release from the guilt or the punishment of sin, but from the sin itself, and thus revealed the broad concept of forgiveness as expressed by the word maw', or that forgiveness meant reclaiming from sin