Let Scripture Interpret Scripture!!!! Part 2!!!!!

Jeremiah 16

We are walking in today: Let Scripture Interpret Scripture!!!! Part 2!!!!!

Witness done foolishly throughout the Bible: H5528 cakal--to be foolish, be a fool, to make foolish, turn into foolishness

Numbers 12:11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

The Torah ..................…

 Genesis 31:28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly H5528 in so doing.

The prophets ...............…
 1 ​Samuel 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: H5528 thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have
established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

The writings .............
 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: H5528 therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

Proverbs 30:32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

Divisions: Old and New

In Scripture, the terms old and new apply to several items, all of which pertain to our necessary provision. We see the old [ancient] paths in Jeremiah 6:16 and 18:15; the old and new covenants in Hebrews 8:13; the old and new wine in Luke 5:37-39; the old and new commandments in 1 John 2:7, and others.

Let's look further at our need for both the old and the new, as our necessary provision:

And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. (Leviticus 26:10)

In the above Leviticus passage, we see that 'bringing forth' [giving birth to] the correct understanding of the old, must be preceded by our walking in the new. This passage speaks prophetically of the provision and promises of the two [Earlier and Later] versions of THE MOST HIGH's Covenant.

Let's see another:

The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates [doors] are all manner of pleasant fruits ['precious things'], new and old, which I have laid up ['hidden'] for thee, O my beloved. (Song of Songs 7:13)

In the above passage, we see that both new and old have been laid up, or hidden for the Bride. These hidden things are called pleasant fruits — 'precious things' — that are hidden in Messiah [who is called the door or gate]! These too speak prophetically of the Earlier and Later versions of THE MOST HIGH's Covenant.

Now we will see further light on what the old and new consist of:

Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. (Matthew 13:52)

In the above passage, we first note that the 'treasure' of a scribe consists of his writings. If he is instructed unto the Kingdom, those treasures, we are told, consist of both new and old, in that exact, chronological order. Here we learn that the fullness of instruction unto Messiah's kingdom consists of both new and old.

Now notice How Messiah relates the 'old' Testament writings to the New Covenant:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

Thus saith the LORD, Stand [remain; abide] ye in the ways, and see, and ask [seek] for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. (Jeremiah 6:16)

Notice that the above two passages do not contradict one another. These passages reveal to us that 'rest for our souls' can be seen from two different perspectives, yet this rest for our soul comes from only one source:

This rest comes from taking Messiah's yoke, and learning of Him — by learning His Words, and walking in His ways (Matthew 11:29);

This rest comes from abiding in The Way [in Messiah] — by asking for, seeking, and walking in, the 'old paths' (Jeremiah 6:16).

Each of the above speaks the same message — each one explains the details of the other! The difference is that both are New Covenant provisions — one seen in the 'new' Testament writings, and the other in the 'old' Testament writings!

One may ask, "Why do we not see this taught today?" and, "Why are there so many stumbling-blocks in the Way, that must be removed prior to Messiah's return?"

The prophet Jeremiah has already given us the answer to these questions, seen in the above passage (Jeremiah 6:16): "...But they said, We will not walk therein." Today many refuse to read, and to walk in the New Covenant provisions found in the 'old' Testament writings.

Why is this? Many Bible teachers today are teaching the error that the 'Old Covenant' means the 'Old Testament' section of the Bible — and these teachers, and their followers, refuse to walk therein!

But the prophet goes on to give us further details:

Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths in a way not cast up [in a way not established by THE MOST HIGH]; (Jeremiah 18:15)

What do the old paths, as seen above in Jeremiah 6:16, and the ancient paths, as seen above in Jeremiah 18:15, refer to?

John tells us exactly what these are:

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from 'the beginning' [B'Re'sheit].The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from 'the beginning'. (1 John 2:7)

Notice in the above passage that the phrase 'the beginning' is the Hebrew word B'Re'sheit, which is the very first word in the Book of Genesis. This word is also the Hebrew title of the book of Genesis.

Thus we see that the Word that you have heard from 'the Beginning' speaks of the written Words of Scripture that you have heard, starting from the first word in the Book of Genesis.

John confirms to us what all these other passages tell us: that the 'Good Way' that defines how we are to walk, is found within the Old paths and the Ancient paths of which Jeremiah speaks.

John then tells us this is Old Commandment is the Word which you have heard from 'the beginning.' This speaks of all the written Word, the 'old' testament writings from Genesis onward.

In John's day, the only written Word they had was the 'old' testament writings, the T-N-K ["TaNaK"] — the Torah [Instruction], the Nebiim [Prophets], and the Ketubim [Writings]. Together, John and Jeremiah tell us that walking in the Old paths refers to walking according to Torah!

Let us see briefly why this is true.

We must remember, that the Old 'Covenant,' as an agreement, is not the same as the Old Testament 'writings,' as a section of the Bible! This truth becomes evident, when we see that almost all of the New Covenant provisions and promises are found within the Old Testament section of the Bible! We will further discuss this below.

We have seen a brief glimpse, a mere hint, of the necessary [New Covenant] provisions that have been laid up [treasured] for the Beloved, in both the 'old' Testament writings and the 'new' Testament writings.

But Fiveamprayer, there is much more to see!

Divisions: The Torah and The Testimony

Notice the following Scripture passage:

To the law [Torah] and to the testimony [witness] if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:20)

The Bible itself claims two main sections, called in Scripture the Torah and the Testimony (Isaiah 8:20). These are not 'divisions' as such, but functional descriptions that we might designate as sections of Scripture. It is important that we understand the meaning of these two sections, as they will help us to correctly understand the overall Bible message.

Let's see what the Torah and the Testimony are.

What is the Torah?

The Bible itself tells us that the Torah is the Truth (Psalms 119:142). We are told further that the Torah is upright, complete, and perfect (Psalms 19:7), and that it is holy (Romans 7:12).

But what is the Torah?

The word Torah is the Hebrew word translated as 'Law' throughout Scripture, and means 'instruction.' In its narrowest sense, the Torah consists of the first 5 books of Moses, and these make up the first part of the 'old' testament writings.

The apostle Paul, however, in referring to the Prophet's words in Isaiah 28:11, said, "In the Law it is written...." Paul is thus telling us that the 'Law' [the Torah — God's 'instruction' for His people] includes the words of the Prophets.

From this usage and others within the new Testament writings, we see that the early Believers understood that the 'Law' [God's 'instruction'] is not confined to only the first 5 Books of Moses. Instead, the 'Law' includes not only the Torah, but the Nebiim [Prophets] and the Ketubim [writings] as well. Together these are known as the 'old' testament writings.

Throughout the Scriptures, the Hebrew word Torah has been translated into English as the word 'Law.' A closer meaning of the word Torah, however, is the word 'instruction.' This word more accurately defines Torah as "Father's Instructions for the members of his household," or what we might call Father's "House Rules" for His family.

We recall that Paul tells Timothy (2 Tim 3:16) that 'all Scripture' is profitable for instruction. This tells us that from a Scriptural standpoint, the word Torah is, in its widest sense, all of Father's instructions to His children. This instruction includes both the written instructions of the Bible, and the living instructions taught by Messiah's testimony, His life example as seen in Scripture.

We can also understand why the apostle Paul's writings were considered to be a part of the Commandments of Scripture (1 Co 14:37; 2 Pet 3:16). Paul's writings were not 'new' doctrines, but were Paul's prophetic insights to many of Everlasting [New] Covenant Scriptures that had been hidden throughout the Torah, the Writings, and the Prophets, all within the Old Testament writings.

So we see that the Torah consists of all Scripture is in its widest sense of instruction, but only the first five books of Moses in its narrowest. For the purpose of identifying sections of Scripture, the Torah is all the written Scripture in what is popularly called the 'old' Testament writings, as separate from what is called the Testimony or 'new' Testament writings.

Let's see what the Testimony is.

What is the Testimony?

The Hebrew word eduwth is commonly translated as testimony or witness. In its most common usage, the testimony refers to the witness or testifying of a particular truth, and sometimes refers to a written record of that truth.

In the Isaiah 8:20 passage seen above, the Hebrew word used is touwdah, meaning the confirming or attesting witness or testimony of a truth. This witness or testimony of the Truth [i.e. of Messiah] is one of the Covenant responsibilities of the Holy Spirit!

The Testimony of Yahushua Messiah is what we seek, in all that we do — but the Testimony of Yahushua comes only by the Holy Spirit, who bears witness according to the written Words of Scripture.

The Word and the Spirit Agree

Now notice the following passages:

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify ['bear witness'] of me. (John 5:39)

"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." (Acts 5:32)

"...the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city..." (Acts 20:23)

"...the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us..." (Hebrews 10:15)

As we see in the above passages, it is the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit together, that bear witness of the Truth, bearing witness of Messiah living in and through the lives of His people. The witness of the Scriptures, and the witness of the Holy Spirit in the life of Messiah and His Disciples, are our primary witnesses and examples of New Covenant life today.

In order to understand the unity of these two witnesses, of the Word and of the Holy Spirit, we must look closely at Messiah, as our example.

Messiah's mission to earth had many Scriptural goals. His all-encompassing goal was to implement the promised Everlasting [New] Covenant with His people (Gen 17:7-19; Jer 31:31-33; Eze 36:26-27; Heb 13:20), which necessitated the shedding of His blood, and also required His death, burial, and resurrection (Isaiah 53:1-12; Deut 18:15-19).

By accomplishing this one goal, Messiah brought about the Gospel of redemption and reconciliation, the forgiveness of sins, the destruction of the works of the devil, and the sending of the Holy Spirit to dwell within His people. In doing these, He also became the 'door' or entrance into His eternal Kingdom. The announcement of the fulfillment of all these Kingdom goals is called the Gospel — the Good News of the Kingdom.

During the short time in which Messiah lived His life on earth 2000 years ago, He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), and He thus lived His life as a confirming or attesting witness, a testimony of the Living Truth of Torah, by the witness of the Holy Spirit.

Thus we see many places in Scripture, that the Messiah can be referred to as the Living Torah [Law]. Proverbs 6:23 tells us that the Commandment is a Lamp, and the Torah [obedience to the Torah] is Light. Messiah revealed His life as the Light that comes from the Lamp — a testimony of what is seen when being obedient to the Commandments of Torah!

Messiah was our living example of how we, too, are to be Light, and that we too, are called to 'walk in the Light' exactly as He did, through our works of obedience to the Scriptures. (John 8:12, Proverbs 6:23; John 1:1-14; Matthew 5:14; Matthew 5:16; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:7; 1 John 2:6).

As we saw above, Messiah implemented the Everlasting [New] Covenant in His Blood (Hebrews 13:20). But as the confirming or attesting witness of the truth of Torah, Messiah accomplished much more than the implementing of the Everlasting [New] Covenant. He also became the example for all Believers to follow, and to emulate (John 8:12; John 13:15; 1 Peter 2:21).

Likewise, Messiah's Disciples, including the apostle Paul, lived their lives as confirming or attesting witness or testimony of the truth of Torah, and of the Gospel. They too became a testimony of Father's mercy and Grace, and of their obedience to Torah, as we shall see below in this writing. Messiah's Disciples also became an example for us to imitate, and to follow in every way (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1; Philippians 3:17).

And so the 'new' testament writings include letters that bear 'witness' to the events in the lives of Messiah and His Disciples. These writings include many exhortations for us today, so that we, too, would become witnesses or living testimonies, of these same Gospel truths. It is the witness of the Scriptures and the witness of the Holy Spirit together, that reveal the Everlasting [New] Covenant being lived out in the daily lives of the Believers.

Taken together, the Torah and the Testimony are the written record of Scripture [the Torah], and the living witness of Scripture being lived out [the Testimony] in the life of Messiah.

Together these reveal Father's Everlasting [New] Covenant, being lived out in the daily lives of Messiah and His Disciples, by the leading and enablement [Grace] of the Holy Spirit — as living examples for us to follow, who bear the Testimony of Messiah.

The Testimony of Messiah

It is helpful to recall that one's testimony is composed of two parts — the words they speak, and the life they live. As the WORD of THE MOST HIGH, Messiah Himself spoke all the Words of Torah, either directly to the Prophets, or indirectly through the Prophets, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So we see that Messiah's testimony includes all the written Scriptures, including the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings [the T-N-K].

We then understand (John 10:25) that one's life, both his words and his deeds, are a vital part of that witness or testimony. The words Messiah spoke, and the works or deeds He did in His lifetime on earth, both directly and through His Disciples and apostles, are all part of Messiah's testimony. So we see that both the written Scriptures, and the witness of Messiah's words, works, and doings, make up the Testimony of Messiah Yahushua.

To summarize, we can say that the Testimony of Messiah is "the light given off by living in obedience to the Torah in Daily Life, as we see in Yahushua and His Disciples throughout the New Testament writings."

But there is more!

This light or testimony of Messiah can also be seen in our own daily lives, when we allow Yahushua — the "Light of Life" — to live within us, and to manifest Himself through us, through our obedience to the Scriptures!

Notice what we are told in Revelation 12:17:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Yeshua HaMachiach. (Revelation 12:17)

Now, notice what we are told in Revelation 19:10:

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Yeshua: worship God: for the testimony of Yeshua is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:9-10)

The Testimony of Messiah Yahushua is seen when we keep the commandments of Elohim [God] — and we are told that this testimony is the spirit of prophecy! It is Messiah's testimony — His Words, and His deeds of obedience to Torah — that speaks to others, as we allow Him to live in us and work through us today!

And so our goal is to bear the Testimony of Messiah Yahushua, in all that we do. We are cautioned, however, that the Testimony of Messiah is found only where there is exact agreement between the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the written Words of Scripture!

But in order to find the true meaning of Scripture, we must use Biblical Guidelines for Scripture Interpretation.

With these basics in mind, let us look at the Biblical Interpretation Guidelines.

The Biblical Interpretation Guidelines

Below are several basic Guidelines for Bible Interpretation, taken from the Scriptures themselves.

Scriptures reveal a number of basic principles and guidelines we are to use, in order to hear and understand THE MOST HIGH's communication with us. We will look only at these main ones:

Biblical Interpretation Guidelines: 7 Basic Principles


1) All Scripture: Full Agreement — No Contradictions;

2) The Torah and the Testimony;

3) Two or Three Witnesses;

4) All the Words of the Prophets;

5) No Private ['ones own' or 'extra-Biblical'] Interpretation;

6) Do Not Add to or Remove From Scripture;

7) First Obey and Do — then Know and Understand

Let us look at these Guideline details in Scripture, to see how they apply.

1. All Scripture: Full Agreement — No Contradictions

The following Scriptures reveal the first Guideline:

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

And Yeshua answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:4)

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16)

Notice in the above passages, that Yahushua tells us we are to live by "Every Word," not just some of them.

Notice also in 2 Timothy 3:16 above, it is "All Scripture" that is profitable for us. If we lack some of the Scripture, we will lack some of the profit — we will be 'unprofitable.' Thus we see the first principle.

This principle tells us, that in order for any idea or presumed interpretation of a Scripture passage to be true, there must be no contradiction or violation of any other Scripture passage. Thus the true interpretation is the one which is in agreement with all Scripture, and which is in agreement with every Word that proceeds from the mouth of THE MOST HIGH.

Note that the Scripture basis for this truth lies in the fact that when Messiah appeared on the earth as a man, everything He spoke, and everything He did, was in complete agreement with every Word of Torah. This was the same Torah that He, as the WORD of THE MOST HIGH, had previously spoken to Abraham, to Moses in the Wilderness, and to all the prophets!

It is important also to note that Messiah validated His own ministry on earth as true, simply by repeating or referring to what is written in the 'old' Testament writings.

In like manner, all the 'new' Testament writers validated and confirmed their own statements, by quoting 'old' Testament passages, and by elaborating on the prophetic meaning of these Everlasting [New] Covenant passages found in the 'old' Testament writings.

As an illustration, notice that the phrase, "...is written..." occurs 70 times in all the 'new' Testament writings, including 30 times in the Gospel accounts.

Fiveamprayer, have we taken notice of this fact?

Indeed, the validation and foundation of all 'New' Testament teaching is the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings — the T-N-K, or what is today called the 'Tanak' or 'Old' Testament Scriptures.

And so it is, that Scripture itself establishes this first principle, that any idea or presumed interpretation of Scripture must be in agreement with All of Scripture.

As we look at some examples, we will gain further insight to the Scripture basis for each principle. Shown below each principle are one or more examples that show how we might apply them today in real life, and how we may use the Scriptures as a test for today's popular teachings.

For this example, let us look further at Paul's words to Timothy, to see what constitutes 'All Scripture.' Notice what the apostle Paul tells Timothy:

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Yeshua. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:15-16)

In the above passage, Paul reminds Timothy that from the time he was a child, Timothy has known the holy Scriptures; and that these Scriptures are able to make him wise unto salvation, through faith in Messiah Yahushua — and that all Scripture is profitable for instruction.

Paul is telling Timothy [and us today] that "ALL" Scripture — not just "some" Scripture — is profitable for our instruction. In the days of Messiah and His Disciples, what were the Scriptures to which this passage refers?

In Paul's and Timothy's day, the only Scriptures they had were the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, what we would call the 'Old' Testament Scriptures.

Paul is thus telling Timothy [and us today] that the 'Old' Testament writings are profitable [and necessary] for our teaching, reproof, and instruction in Righteousness!

The logic of this is easily seen. The Scriptures tell us (John 1:1, 14; Rev 19:13) that Messiah Himself is THE WORD of THE MOST HIGH by whom all things were created (Psalms 33:6), and who spoke all the Words of Scripture, both 'old' and 'new' Testament writings — either directly, or through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These references include Gen 15:1; Num 36:5; Isaiah 38:4; Jer 32:26; Eze 6:1; Zec 7:8; Mal 1:1; Acts 1:16; 1 Thess 1:5; and 2 Pet 1:21.

And since we know that Messiah does not contradict Himself [that is, Messiah's later words do not contradict Messiah's earlier words], we know that for any idea or doctrine to be true, there must be full agreement between 'old' testament writings and 'new' testament writings!

Because we are to use 'all Scripture' for our instruction, we can easily use the principle given in this passage, to find a correct interpretation of any Scripture passage. That is, any idea, concept, notion, or presumed interpretation, must be in agreement with All of Scripture.

This passage in 2 Timothy 3:16 is an important passage to understand and memorize — because there are many today being taught Bible doctrines that violate and contradict this and other Scripture passages!

The first Scripture principle we have seen above is an all-encompassing principle. The next Scripture principles reveal to us in much greater detail, exactly what All Scripture means, and how we are to apply these principles.

The next Scripture principle shows us in greater detail how the term All Scripture relates to both Old and New Testament writings.


2. According to the Torah and the Testimony

This Scripture Guideline is another vitally important one. Wherever there is error in Bible interpretation and application, the use of this Biblical Guideline is missing. Let's see what this Guideline is, and how we are to apply it.

As we saw above, two basic components that make up all of Scripture are the Torah and the Testimony. In this section, we will see how Scripture reveals the Torah and the Testimony together as being the measuring-stick of what is true, and what is false.

Here is the basic principle as seen in Isaiah 8:20:

To the law [Torah] and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:20)

Let us review these individual Bible components of the Law [Torah] and the Testimony, to see how the passage in Isaiah 8:20 applies to us today.

According to Torah: The written Scriptures

As we saw above, the Torah is considered to be the first 5 books of Moses. We then saw that in Scripture usage, all of Tanak [the 'old' Testament writings] can be considered as Torah.

We then saw that because the Torah is Father's instructions for His children, the Torah can be considered in its widest sense, as all of the written Scripture, which is said to be profitable for our instruction.

We saw also that not only Messiah, but likewise all of His Disciples, validated their words, and their New Covenant ministry, by the Words of Torah, the Prophets, and the writings, which we call today the 'old' Testament writings.

This example of Messiah and His Disciples is for us today. Our words, our teaching, and indeed our entire New Covenant ministry — are likewise validated when they are in agreement with all the Words of the 'old' Testament writings, from a 'new' Testament perspective, that is, as we look through 'new' Testament spectacles.

Agreement with the Torah, however, is only half the requirement. We must also find agreement according to the Testimony of Yahushua!

According to the Testimony: The Attesting Witness of Life, As Seen in the New Testament Writings

We saw above, that the Testimony is the confirming or attesting witness or testimony of the truths of Torah and of the Gospel, displayed by the Holy Spirit, when Messiah, the "Light of Life," is living within. We saw that this Testimony can be seen, lived out in the daily life of Messiah Yahushua and His Disciples, as recorded in the 'new' Testament writings.

We also saw above, that the Testimony of Messiah in the Believer is "the light given off by living in obedience to the Torah in Daily Life, as we see in Yahushua and His Disciples throughout the New Testament writings." This is the Light of Messiah living within! This is the Light of which Isaiah 8:20 speaks!

As we saw in the Isaiah 8:20 passage above, we are told that the resulting Light is dependent on the singleness of 'this Word' - the agreement of the Word and the Spirit, the Torah and the Testimony:

"Concerning the Law [Torah] and the Testimony [the confirming or attesting witness of the Spirit], if they speak not according to this [one] word [the Torah and the Testimony together, as one word, in full agreement], it is because there is no light [no truth] in them." (Isaiah 8:20)

Our 'testimony' or 'witness' is both the works of obedience we do, and the Words of Scripture that we speak, together giving testimony of who THE MOST HIGH is. It is thus by our testimony that we ourselves become as an epistle [a letter or book] read by all men (2 Corinthians 3:2)!

Taken together, it is the Torah [the written Words of the T-N-K, the 'old' Testament writings] and the Testimony [the words and examples of Messiah and His apostles and disciples in the 'new' Testament writings], that confirm the Truth of any idea or supposed interpretation of a Bible passage.

Let's look at how the Torah and the Testimony, when taken together, become the measuring-stick of Light, and of Truth.

Finding the Torah Basis for New Testament Truth

The principle of Isaiah 8:20 tells us that for a teaching to be true, it must be:

According to the Torah - Must be in agreement with the written Scriptures found in the Tanak, the 'old' Testament writings;

According to the Testimony - Must be in agreement with the Life of Messiah and His disciples, as seen in the 'new' Testament writings.

For example, if a supposed meaning or idea appears to be in agreement with the Torah, but not in agreement with the Testimony, the supposed meaning is false.

In like manner, if a supposed meaning or idea appears to be in agreement with the 'new' Testament writings, but contradicts the 'old' Testament writings, the supposed meaning is likewise false.

It is in this way, that the Torah and the Testimony, when taken together, become the single measuring-stick of Light, and of Truth. So we see that the truth or validity of any idea or teaching is found only where there is agreement between the Torah and the Testimony — that is, where there is agreement between the 'old' and 'new' Testament writings.

In the practical application of this Guideline, our goal is to find agreement between the written Torah and the Living Testimony of Messiah and His Disciples as our example.

Thus in order to correctly understand any teaching from the 'new' Testament writings [the Testimony], we must locate and understand the 'old' Testament [T-N-K] basis for the teaching.

We can use this truth of Scripture to test any presumed idea or doctrine:

If there is disagreement between the Torah [an Old Testament passage] and the Testimony [a New Testament passage, within the context of all of the New Testament writings], a given idea or teaching is false.

There are many popular New Testament teachings today that fit into this 'false' category. For example, many have been taught the false notion that an 'old' Testament commandment or concept must also be repeated explicitly in the 'new' Testament writings, in order for that commandment or concept to apply to Believers today.

This notion is false, and it goes against all the Scriptural Guidelines. This is just one of many false ideas that have arisen as a result of the widespread, modern teaching of the Doctrine of Balaam, which continues to give rise to many man-made, counterfeit Bible doctrines.

Let Fiveamprayer beware!!

Let us now look at some practical applications, to see the importance of finding the Torah Basis for any New Testament Truth.

Here are some examples of how we are to use this Biblical principle.

In this example, we will see a practical example of how we are to use this Biblical principle, of finding the Torah Basis for any New Covenant teachings:

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Hebrews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)

In the above passage, the Bereans were said to be more noble, for they searched the Scriptures, to see whether the teachings of Paul and Silas were true or not, according to Torah. We recall that the Torah [the 'old' Testament Scriptures] was all they had in those days. The example of the Bereans is an example for us today!

By this example, we see that in order for us to correctly understand a given Bible idea or concept, we must do as the Bereans did. We must find the "Torah Basis" for that idea or concept in the 'old' Testament writings.

Here is another example:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Yeshua Christ. (Revelation 12:17)

We see in the above passage that only a remnant, a small number, maintain the keeping of the commandments [the Torah] and the faith of Yahushua [the Testimony]. It is these with whom the dragon becomes angry, and full of wrath.

Now notice another, in the following passage:

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. (Revelation 15:3)

In the above passage, we are again given a prophetic picture of the Torah and the Testimony together.

First, we see the Song of Moses as a prophetic picture of obedience to Moses' words [the Torah - The Sayings of Messiah that He gave to Moses], describing Father's works.

We then see the Song of the Lamb as walking as Messiah walked, and as the doing of Messiah's works of obedience to Torah [the Testimony of the Holy Spirit], the testimony of walking in Father's ways.

These two songs speak of keeping Father's works, and of walking in His ways — as described in the Words Messiah spoke to Moses (Num 3:51, 15:31). Taken together, these two songs become one unified message, revealing the truth of Father's works and His ways.

Here is another example:

In the following passage, a man asks Messiah about Eternal Life, which is a 'new' Covenant question. Notice the answer Messiah gives the man:

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [a New Covenant question] 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law [The Torah]? how readest thou? (Luke 10:25-26)

In the above passage, Messiah answers this 'new' Covenant question, by referring to the Torah, a part of the 'old' Testament writings. The answer is given in the form of a question: "How do you read it?"

Fiveamprayer, How do 'we' read it?

We are each called to read, study, and obey the Torah [the words Messiah spoke to Moses and all the Prophets] for ourselves (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16; James 1:22; 2 Peter 3:2).

And then by our obedience to Torah [the Words of Messiah], we demonstrate whom we have chosen to 'serve' (Romans 6:16).

And also by our obedience to Torah [the Words of Messiah], we demonstrate whom we have chosen to 'love' (John 14:15).

And if we choose to continue in transgression [disobedience] to Torah [the Words of Messiah], we demonstrate we have chosen to continue in 'sin.' (1 John 2:1, 3:4; 1 Co 15:34).

Let us now proceed to the next Bible Guideline.

3. Two or Three Witnesses

For this guideline, we will first notice the following passages:

At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. (Deuteronomy 17:6)

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. (Deuteronomy 19:15)

But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (Matthew 18:16)

This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. (2 Corinthians 13:1)

The above Scripture passages tell us that any word or matter must have at least two or 3 witnesses, in order to be established as true or valid.

If there is an idea or concept in Scripture that we assume to be true, then we should be able to find two or three witnesses in Scripture that will confirm the truth. If an idea or teaching has only one mention, however, it is a likely candidate to be a falsehood, unless there is an identical or similar witness to that idea or concept.

As Scripture examples of this truth, notice in the above passages, that both Yahushua (Matthew 18:16) and Paul (2 Corinthians 13:1) made statements that were in agreement with two other witnesses of Scripture, in Deuteronomy 17:6 and Deuteronomy 19:15.

From this guideline we see that for any presumed Bible interpretation, idea, or 'doctrine' to be true, it must be established on the testimony of two or 3 witnesses. This tells us that if we are to avoid being found among the foolish, our interpretation of Scripture must find agreement among two or 3 witnesses of Scripture.

Again, many modern 'New Testament' teachings today fit into this 'false' category, having no second witness to confirm them as true. Likewise, the falsehoods abound when there is no second witness found in Torah to give validity to its truth.

Let us see some Examples.

In this example, we will investigate a popular but non-Scriptural teaching that violates this Guideline. Here we will investigate the widespread observance of a common tradition seen today — the celebration of a day known as "the Lord's Day."

Let's see what the Bible says about 'the Lord's Day.'

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet..." (Revelation 1:10)

The phrase "Lord's day" is seen only once in all of Scripture in the above passage (Revelation 1:10). This passage is the source of the man-made notion that the 'Lord's Day' refers to a particular day of the week, giving rise to a popular religious Doctrine and tradition.

But what do the Scriptures tell us?

When we search the Scriptures, we see there is no other mention of 'Lord's Day' in the Bible.

What would the Bereans (Acts 17:11) have concluded from this information? They would have searched the Scriptures [the 'old' testament Scriptures are all they had], and would have concluded there is no such day of the week called 'the Lord's Day.'

There is however, a similar phrase seen throughout the Scriptures. The term 'Day of the LORD' refers to a [yet future] time of judgment. This phrase "Day of the LORD" appears 25 times in the 'old' testament writings, with an additional 5 of these in the 'new' testament writings (Acts 2:20; 1 Co 5:5; 2 Co 1:14; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10).

The phrase "Day of the LORD" was a well-known concept among even the most elementary of Torah students of John's day. They all knew what the "Day of THE MOST HIGH" meant.

The phrase "Day of the LORD," mentioned throughout the Torah, speaks of a future time when THE MOST HIGH will fulfill various parts of His plans for His people.

The Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos was likely well acquainted with this phrase "Day of the LORD." John was simply telling us that he was "In the Spirit" in the [future] Day of the LORD [the Day of THE MOST HIGH], and that what he saw was a panoramic view of the activities that will take place in this [future] Day of the LORD.

We must conclude, as Scripture tells us, that only out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall every word, and every matter, be established.

Thus according to Scripture, we can not build a 'day of the week' doctrine, nor any other doctrine, on only one Scripture passage.

To apply the term 'Lord's day' to Sunday, or to any specific day of the week, is a man-made idea. The current 'Lord's day' tradition arose in earlier centuries, and has been vigorously promoted by those Religious Leaders who fail to adhere to the Scriptures (Jude 1:3-4, 11-12).

So the Bereans would have concluded from the Scriptures, that the phrase 'Lord's Day' is not related to a particular day of the week, since there is simply no other witness of Scripture to tie this phrase to a particular day of the week.

With this in mind, we must ask ourselves, "Have we allowed anyone to persuade us of a 'Lord's Day' teaching, as a means of deceiving us into celebrating a man-made substitute, a counterfeit of the Biblical Sabbath Day?"

There are many, many more examples of modern church doctrines that lack sufficient witness of Scripture to validate them as true, but the above should suffice.

As New Covenant followers of Messiah, we are called to read the Scriptures for ourselves, so that we might embrace all that is true, and abandon all that is counterfeit! Let us return to reading the Scriptures for ourselves!

Shema Selah, Fiveamprayer it is NOW that we are truly learning His word straight from the beginning and repeated throughout!!! https://www.facebook.com/fiveam.prayer/videos/1690767877667988/?l=458375799162758818

How to Use Scripture To Interpret the Scripture!!

Acts 17



We are walking in today:  How to Use Scripture To Interpret the Scripture!!

Witness err  throughout the Bible:  H7686 shagah-- to go astray, stray, err, deceive,, (let, make to) wander.

Proverbs 19:27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err H7686 from the words of knowledge.

The Torah ..................…
 Numbers 15:22 And if ye have erred, H7686 and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

The prophets ...............…
 ​1 ​Samuel 26:21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have
erred H7686 exceedingly.

The writings .............
 Psalms 119:21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err H7686 from thy commandments.

Psalms 119:118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err H7686 from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.

Many today are being awakened from their spiritual slumber, and are surprised to find that some of the 'Bible' teachings they have been given are not according to the Scriptures!

Today there are multitudes of Bible teachers, Pastors, Ministers, religious Leaders, and would-be Prophets, all clamoring to put forth a 'Bible message.' Some of these teachings are genuine and valid. But as Yahushua warned His Disciples, deception would be widespread immediately prior to His return, and multitudes of Believers will become deceived.

Because of the great importance of the Bible message, we must make sure we are receiving the correct message, and not a counterfeit; the pure message, and not one mixed with man-made ideas; the full message, not only a small part.

So how can we avoid deception, even from sincere, but misguided Bible Teachers? How can we begin to understand the Bible for ourselves, so that we may obtain the True Bible message?

The answer is not found within man-made doctrines, nor in man's 'own understanding' of how to study the Bible. The answer is found only in what the Bible actually says about how to study and interpret the Scriptures, and how to understand its content!

And so in this teaching today, we will look at what the Bible itself says about how to properly study its contents, and how to correctly understand its message. The Bible itself gives us some built-in guidelines to follow, that when used, will help us to study for ourselves, and to correctly understand, the true Bible message!

Introduction

The Bible itself actually tells us, in great detail, how we are to properly interpret and understand the Scriptures. The Bible reveals how Scripture itself can interpret the Scriptures for us!

According to the very words of the Bible, it is the Scriptures themselves that define the Bible's own content, and they also tell us exactly how the Scriptures are to be understood. The Scripture Guidelines presented in this writing are certain Scripture passages that tell us exactly how the written Scriptures alone are able to correctly interpret Scripture, through the leading and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

In this study we will observe the direct, primary principles found in Scripture, as well as some modern-day examples that illustrate common violations of these Biblical principles. We will then look at some important considerations as illustrated by Scripture examples.

In the first section of this study, we will see in detail the Biblical method of Bible study that the Bereans used. We recall that the Bereans (Acts 17:11) were considered to be more noble, because with readiness of mind, they searched the Scriptures daily, to see if what the apostle Paul said was true. And because of their use of the Biblical principles of study, the Bereans became an example for us to follow.

When we follow the Biblical study principles, coupled with a softness of heart and readiness of mind, we too will see the same results.

We will finish this study by echoing a few New Testament caveats or warnings, that we as Believers would be well to follow, in view of the great degree of deception today.

A Few Common-Sense Basics

Before we look at the Biblical principles, we must first mention a few common-sense, basic rules of reading comprehension that must be applied.

First and foremost, reading the Bible is not like reading a novel! The Scriptures are not to be read speedily, but slowly, in order to study each word and its meaning!

The true 'seekers' are those who will read the Scriptures slowly and deliberately, to draw out the nourishment.

The hurried and impatient Readers, in contrast, are those who read the Scriptures rapidly, skimming over the surface. Those in a hurry will not find the nourishment they need to overcome, and will likely end up being deceived!

The complete sentence must be understood, not only in relation to its immediate context, but in its global context of all of Scripture. Only within its proper context, can a Scripture passage be applied correctly. The subject of Bible context is so significant, and is of such great importance to proper application, that it will appear in a separate writing.

Along with context, the proper understanding of a Scripture passage is then found when it is in full agreement with all the Biblical Guidelines given within the Scriptures themselves.

And finally, we must keep in mind our goal of reading and studying the Scriptures for ourselves: to become cleansed by the washing of the water of the Word, by becoming "DO-ers" of what we read. Only in this way can our lives become adjusted and conformed to Messiah's image; and only in this way are we able to truly love one another (Eph 5:26; James 1:22; Romans 8:29; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 1:22).

Here are two of these passages showing the goal of studying the Scriptures for ourselves:

"...that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word..." (Ephesians 5:26)

Seeing ye have purified ['cleansed'] your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure ['cleansed'] heart fervently: (1 Peter 1:22)

Notice in the above passage that we do not become purified [cleansed] by knowing the Truth, but by obeying the Truth — by becoming "DO-ers" of Truth.

We become "DO-ers" of Truth, when we obey the sayings, the Words of Scripture spoken by Him who is the Truth!

But in order to obey the truth, we must study the Scriptures diligently, to find how we are to apply the Truth to us personally.

Only in this way can we live our lives as He calls us to do, in a manner that is pleasing to our heavenly Father (John 8:29; Col 1:9-10; 2 Tim 2:4; 1 John 3:22).

Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? (Ezekiel 33:10)

Fiveamprayer, the Scriptures ask us, "How should we then live?"

We are called to understand the Scriptures, so that we may then understand how we should then live!

But in order to understand the Scriptures, we must study the Scriptures for ourselves!

And so we begin our study with a look at the great importance of studying and interpreting the Scriptures for ourselves.

Studying the Scriptures for Ourselves

Why should we study the Scriptures for ourselves?

Most Believers today have heard Evangelists, Ministers, Pastors, Teachers, and Spiritual Leaders, faithfully teaching the Scriptures. Many would ask, "Are these teachings not sufficient?" Some would even say, "We have heard enough to be Born-Again, and we are now saved. What more is needed?"

Fiveamprayer, there are some Scriptural reasons for studying the Scriptures, that we have not understood!

We are called to walk as Messiah walked, and to live our lives as He did (1John 2:6). But to do this, we must remove the stumbling-blocks.

Removal of Stumbling-Blocks

As Believers, and as Followers of Yahushua, we are called to live our lives according to the Scriptures.

But before one may live a life according to the Scriptures, a great number of obstacles ['stumbling-blocks'] must first be removed. Stumbling-blocks are those things that prevent us from walking 'upright' in The Way, while yoked with Messiah. These stumbling-blocks are 'Religious Doctrines' which Scripture calls 'Traditions' and 'Commandments of Men.'

The terms 'traditions of Men,' 'Commandments of Men,' and 'Doctrines of Men' are the Bible's terminology for the collection of man-made teachings and traditions that men have heard and accumulated over the years.

These teachings and traditions are man-made Bible doctrines that have twisted the true meaning of Scripture, changing a Bible passage to say something it does not really say. This twisting creates a false paradigm — a false perspective or way of understanding of the true meaning of a Scripture passage, and results in blinding a person to the true meaning of the passage.

This twisting occurs when men see the Scriptures through the lenses of their own Doctrinal Statements [mostly based on decrees of Rome], or through a faulty interpretation based on their own understanding. That is, they read their own meaning into a Bible passage [called 'eisegesis'], rather than reading from the Bible passage what it actually says [called 'exegesis'].

Most Bible Schools and Seminaries practice their own forms of eisegesis, in order to conform to the particular Doctrinal positions of their founders and sponsors. And because many Pastors, Ministers, and spiritual Leaders are produced from these schools, these twisted meanings based on non-Biblical paradigms become propagated and transmitted from one generation to the next. They become widely taught in many congregations, and today these man-made teachings and traditions are widely practiced by most Believers.

These many non-Biblical paradigms then become mixed with Biblical truths, and the result is pictured in Scripture to a confluence of two rivers or streams — one of pure water, and one of polluted water. This merging of two streams produces a mixture, and the result of this mixture is confusion. As we shall see, the Bible has a name for this system of confusing doctrinal mixture: "Mystery Babylon."

Today Believers are being called out of the confusion of Mystery Babylon, and are being called to return to the pure waters of Scripture alone.

And so our goal is to properly exegete, or draw out from the Scripture passage, what it actually says, even if it goes against all we currently understand! Our goal, however, is not to properly understand the Bible merely for the sake of understanding or 'head' knowledge — but for the sake of becoming a "DO-er" of what it says!

When THE MOST HIGH's Covenant people do not correctly understand the Scriptures, they are not able to walk as He walked, in accordance with the Scriptures. And so the vital importance of correct Scripture understanding can now be seen.

And so we must ask again, "Why is it important for all Believers to study the Scriptures carefully for themselves?"

The tragic truth is, that most Believers today continue to believe and embrace teachings from their Pastors, Ministers, or Spiritual Leaders, without question. Many Believers today are not as the Bereans — they do not search the Scriptures for themselves, to see whether these teachings are true, or not!

The Bible however, calls all Believers not to believe everything they hear, but to diligently study the Scriptures on their own:

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Proverbs 14:15)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18)

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [actions] of saints. (Revelation 19:7-8)

The reasons we are called to study the Scriptures for ourselves can be seen the above passages. Notice the warning, telling us we are to study, in order to avoid the shame of nakedness, of being found without our 'clothing' of righteousness. Messiah living within us is our Righteousness, but the clothing speaks of something that is outwardly seen.

We are then told that we must learn to handle the Word as a 'sword,' able to rightly divide the Words of Scripture, as a sword cutting accurately and steadily.

We are also called to make ourselves ready, as a bride preparing for a wedding, so that we may be clothed in the fine linen of Righteousness. We are then told (Rev 19:8), that this Righteousness consists of our actions of obedience to the Scriptures. This last step requires that we have an understanding of what actions we are to do — and what actions we are not to do — and this requires much study of the Scriptures!

We must first understand how Messiah living within us is our Righteousness. We must then understand how Messiah in us produces the fruit [outward works] of Righteousness in us.

The key to understanding how Messiah produces our Righteousness, can be seen as we study the Hebrew word for Righteousness in the Bible. This can be seen in Isaiah 45:8, and is explained in Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:3-9, Luke 8:5-8, Hebrews 5:13 and Philippians 1:11. We cannot now speak particularly of this, except to say that we have written in other writings on the matter of Messiah as our Righteousness.

Many Believers today are not preparing themselves with this fine linen of Righteousness, as a bride preparing for the wedding to the Bridegroom. They are not being taught what the Scriptures tell us about Biblical Righteousness, but are being given the milk of the Word, mixed with many man-made doctrines and other foolishness.

And so our first Scripture reason for studying for ourselves can be seen in this Scripture passage:

The simple ['foolish, gullible, deceived'] believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Proverbs 14:15)

The word for 'simple' in the above passage comes from a root word meaning foolish and deceived. If we do not study the Scriptures for ourselves, we will surely be deceived. The deceived Believers will be found among the Foolish Virgins. They will not enter in with the Bridegroom.

Another important reason for studying the Scriptures for ourselves can be seen, as we realize that it was THE WORD of THE MOST HIGH, the person of Messiah Yahushua Himself, who spoke the words to Abraham, Moses, and all the Prophets! (See Genesis 15:1; Num 3:16; Num 15:31; Jer 18:5; Zep 1:1; Zec 1:1; John 1:1, 14).

Many Bible teachers today deny this truth of Messiah's identity, by their teachings and by their actions (Titus 1:16). As a result, many Believers today are walking in partial disobedience and partial deception, and do not yet 'know' Messiah.

But in order to understand how deception takes hold, we must take careful note of this one fact. THE MOST HIGH has purposely spoken His Words in such a way that His enemies, as well as those not in covenant with Him, will not see nor understand the true meaning of His Words. Instead, they will take them incorrectly! (Isaiah 6:9-10; Isaiah 29:10; Mark 4:11-12).

Thus it is only after Messiah opens our eyes to see — to know Him, and to understand His Word — that we receive the correct meaning of the words! (Luke 24:16,31; Eph 1:17-18).

In contrast, when Pastors or Spiritual Leaders have received the meaning of the words from a Bible School or seminary, rather than from the Holy Spirit, they open themselves to receiving error passed down from man-made doctrines. It is the Holy Spirit alone, who will guide us into Truth (John 16:13; 1 John 2:27)].

Those who hear and follow these seminary-trained Leaders must therefore study for themselves (2 Tim 2:15), lest they too receive the same errors!

Let us now look at a Biblical example of how this studying is to be done.

When Paul and Silas went to Berea, they spoke and taught the Gospel [the Good News] of Messiah Yahushua and His kingdom. But notice what these Bereans did:

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Hebrews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)

First we note that the Bereans were open to hearing the word of the Gospel, but they did not automatically believe everything they heard. Instead, they "searched the scriptures daily," to see whether or not the words of Paul and Silas were true!

Fiveamprayer, we are to do likewise! We should not simply believe everything we hear from the pulpit — but we are to be 'more noble,' just as the Bereans, and study the Scriptures, to see whether those things are true!

Perhaps the Bereans were told, "Wow! The apostle Paul will be speaking and teaching in our congregation today!"

Fiveamprayer, it does not matter who speaks or teaches! We are called to Beware!

It is significant that the words 'take heed' or 'beware' or 'warn' appear more than 40 times in the New Testament writings. Most of these passages warn us of the many kinds of error that could lead us astray. A few of these passages can be seen in 1 Co 10:12; Col 2:8; 1 Tim 4:16; 2 Tim 4:15; Heb 3:12; 2 Pet 3:17.

Fiveamprayer, if it were not possible for Believers in Messiah to be led astray, there would be no need for the many New Testament warnings!

Let the Believers Beware!

In the same way that we are to study the Scriptures for ourselves, we are likewise expected to interpret the Scriptures for ourselves!

Interpreting the Scriptures for Ourselves

One might ask, "Why is it important to correctly interpret the Scriptures for ourselves?"

The answer to this lies in the fact that our understanding of Scripture is dependent upon our interpretation of Scripture!

When we misunderstand the Scriptures, it becomes easy to embrace man-made substitutes instead. When we practice the man-made 'Religious Traditions' and 'Commandments and precepts of Men,' rather than what the Scriptures actually say, we create stumbling-blocks for ourselves.

When put into practice, these Religious Traditions actually cause us to deny Messiah; that is, they turn us away from practicing the Truth — for they cause us to deny the obedience of Messiah Himself, who lives within us! (See Titus 1:14, 16).

Let us recall from Scripture, that if we have been Born-Again, Messiah Yahushua now lives within our fleshly body, in our spirit. And He desires to walk in the same obedience today, living within our fleshly body, that He did when He lived in His own fleshly body, two thousand years ago!

Our walk [Messiah's walk while living in us] is to be a walk of Righteousness, a walk of obedience to all of Scripture. But there are many stumbling-blocks that prevent us from walking of obedience to all of Scripture!

In Scripture, these stumbling-blocks are shown to originate from the Religious Traditions and Doctrines of Men. These stumbling-blocks come as a result of holding on to a false understanding of Scripture, which comes from Bible teachers having a non-Biblical interpretation of Scripture.

Both Paul and Jude warn us of these stumbling-blocks, and of the teachers who have crept in to our assemblies unawares, bringing false doctrines based on a false understanding of Scripture (Romans 16:17; Jude 1:3-4)

These false understandings of Scripture may come from many sources. Today false teachers, false prophets, and deception abound. Likewise there are many sincere Bible teachers, who unknowingly pass along truth mixed with error. But whatever the source, these false teachings come from mixing the Truth of Scripture with the Religious Doctrines of Men.

The end result is that many Believers today unknowingly hold to error, and continue to practice a vast collection of man-made, religious traditions that have been built up over the centuries, and passed down as truth.

Those Believers who do not study the Scriptures for themselves have simply entrusted their eternal destiny, and their eternal, Great Reward of inheritance, into the hands of their Religious Leaders. Many of these Religious Leaders, however, are spiritually blind, and they are leading multitudes astray.

And so we can now see the great importance of studying the Scriptures for ourselves, and of correctly interpreting the Scriptures for ourselves.

If the Reader will adhere strictly to the Bible-based Study principles, he will be more likely to correctly interpret the Scriptures, and to become a "DO-er" of Scripture, thus avoiding deception. He will then be able to identify and remove the many stumbling-blocks that prevent us from walking in THE WAY!

Today THE MOST HIGH is restoring the Bible-based Study principles to His people. He is calling all His people to return to the Bible-based Study principles, so that they may correctly interpret the Scriptures. Only then will His people be able to let go of the many stumbling-blocks they have embraced in their ignorance, the religious baggage they have carried for centuries.

If we are to closely follow Messiah, we must correctly interpret and understand the Scriptures!

But how do we find the correct interpretation, so that we might avoid deception?

Interpretation: What Does it Mean? - Avoiding Deception

Perhaps the most important item to examine is the issue of interpretation. For any given Scripture passage, the question arises: "What does it mean?"

We might ask further, "What is the correct interpretation?" and most importantly, "What does this Scripture passage mean for me — how does this apply for me today?"

This last question is the very center of the battlefield of deception today. This question is where many are being led astray by Religious Tradition and Doctrines of Men, which all give false answers to this question.

Fortunately, the Scriptures themselves give us the correct answer to this question. Finding the correct answer, however, requires that each one dig deeply into the Scriptures for himself, to search out the Truth — as if searching for gold, jewels, and hidden treasure!

To find the correct Bible Interpretation, there is only one General Rule to be followed:

The Scriptures alone must interpret the Scriptures!

Within the confines of this one General Rule, there are many additional and important considerations. Although secondary to the Biblical Guidelines of what the Scriptures actually say, there are topics such as context, word definition, historical background, and many others that must be considered. These common-sense "Rules of Biblical Interpretation" guidelines have been published in many forms over time, and are valuable aids to reading comprehension.

In this writing, however, we will codify and present only the Biblical guidelines of Biblical Interpretation. Hidden in plain sight in the Scriptures, these Biblical guidelines are of greatest importance, yet virtually unknown in the Religious world.

Today the Biblical Guidelines — what the Scriptures themselves actually give as Guidelines for correct Scripture interpretation — are now being restored!

The Scriptures themselves tell us what these Guidelines are. They tell us what the Scriptures consist of, how they are to be divided, and how they are to be seen as a unified message. And of greatest importance, these Guidelines tell us how we are to 'apply' the Scriptures to our lives today!

We begin with an overview of what the Bible says about the Scriptures themselves.

The Bible: Its Content

The Bible appears to many as merely a collection of historical writings, or perhaps a book of guidelines to live by. But the Bible is much more than that. The Bible is a supernatural writing, like no other book in existence.

Its pages are the complete, written instructions from the Creator of the universe, addressed to mankind! And within its pages can be seen the many different forms of the Author's personal signature, all confirming and verifying the authenticity of its contents!

The Bible itself tells us (2 Peter 1:21) that Holy men of ancient times wrote these words of Scripture, as the Holy Spirit moved upon them, telling them what to write. All the words within it pages gave testimony to the Truth, through the absolute agreement of the various writers, even though unknown to each other, and written over a long time span.

From the internal testimony of the Bible, we see that the Bible tells us that it is the Word of the Creator, and all of its Words are Truth (Deuteronomy 32:4; 2Samuel 7:28; 1 Kings 17:24; Nehemiah 9:13; Psalms 19:9, 119:142, 119:151, 119:160; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 21:5).

An overview of the Bible's Message, and the Bible's Mission and Purpose, are discussed in another writing. As an overview, we might say the Bible speaks a broader message to the many, and a more narrow message to the few, also called His Disciples.

Within the broader message of the Bible can be seen the life-and-death message of coming judgment against all the inhabitants of the world, and also a message of Redemption and forgiveness for all who choose to receive this forgiveness.

The Scriptures pronounce judgment on all people for having rebelled against the Creator, and having transgressed His eternal Laws. There is also a parallel message of the Creator's gift of eternal love and redemption, for all those who choose to return to Him.

This two-fold message confronts all people, and the decision each one makes becomes the most important issue each one must face, within his own lifetime.

Throughout the Bible, a more narrow purpose for the Scriptures can also be seen. THE MOST HIGH has chosen to hide much of the Bible's Content, so that only those who diligently search for Messiah, as one would search for gold, jewels, and hidden treasure, would find Messiah. Those who choose to follow Him would then learn His Ways, by walking with Him, and abiding [remaining] in Him. They would then delight in Him, and would come to know Him!

There are many other purposes for the Scriptures. The central focus of this writing, however, is based on the one purpose of seeking Messiah with all our hearts, so that we can identify and remove the stumbling-blocks from our lives. Only then can we walk in the Light of His Word, abide in Him, and learn His Ways.

And so as we dig deeply to study the Scriptures for the purpose of seeking Messiah, we soon realize that the Scriptures are pure and without fault [in the original manuscripts in which they were written], notwithstanding the variations found within many different manuscripts and translations. The Holy Bible does not merely 'contain' the written Words of the Creator — the Holy Bible is the sum of His written Words!

There are some who study the Bible, however, and never arrive at a correct understanding of the Bible message. Unless the student approaches the study of Scriptures with humility and with a teachable heart, the eyes of his understanding will not be opened, and he will receive no understanding.

We might say that the fundamental reason for incorrect understanding of the Bible is that a correct understanding of Scripture is fully dependent on THE MOST HIGH — for it is He alone who opens our spiritual eyes to understand. We will discuss the 'opening of eyes' throughout this writing.

Let us look next at what the Scriptures themselves tell us about how the Bible is to be divided.

The Bible: Its Divisions

Over the centuries, men have divided the Holy Bible into two basic sections, and have called these the 'old' testament and the 'new' testament. These are not Biblical divisions, but are erroneously based on men's observations. We will refer to these as 'old' testament writings and 'new' testament writings in order to communicate, and to clarify some of the Biblical meanings.

The Bible is not actually divided, in the usual sense of the word. Instead, there is a single, unified message seen throughout the old and new testament writings. The Scriptures do however, use several terms, such as Torah and Testimony, and Old and New, to distinguish between certain covenant aspects of THE MOST HIGH's word.

For example, the Scriptures use the terms old and new not to refer to sections of the Bible, but to various aspects of Father's Covenant provisions for His people. When we associate the terms old and new with sections of the Bible, we begin to walk in error, for these are man-made divisions, of which the Scriptures do not speak. As long as we think of old and new as merely sections of the Bible, we create confusion — and we cut ourselves off from much of our Heavenly Father's provision for His children!

Let us see what the Bible itself says about Old and New.

Shema Selah we must study the scriptures for ourselves, not allowing spiritual leaders to teach us without seeing the scriptural backing of the teaching. https://www.facebook.com/fiveam.prayer/videos/1689326691145440/?l=3192246232403873747

Freedom To Choose!!!!

Luke 4


We are walking in today: Freedom To Choose!!!!

Witness harken throughout the Bible:   H7181 qashab--to hear, be, attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken H7181

than the fat of rams.

The Torah  .....................
 Exodus 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

The prophets ..................
Nehemiah 9:34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened H7181 unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

The writings .............
Psalms 5:2 Hearken H7181 unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

Song of Solomon  8:13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken H7181 to thy voice: cause me to hear it.

The New Covenant: Its Provisions

As we look into the identity of those who are partakers of THE MOST HIGH's Covenant, we see another covenant problem coming into view, which we must address. Let's recall a Scripture from above:

"Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:" (Jeremiah 31:32)

As we recall, Israel was redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, and then was 'water Baptized.' They were brought out of Bondage of Egypt, all by THE MOST HIGH's Grace. However, in the above passage, we see that Israel broke THE MOST HIGH's Marriage Covenant, due to their disobedience, which we saw previously.

So we see by Israel's example, that the first New Covenant provision of Blood has been made to bring out THE MOST HIGH's people, out of Bondage to Sin. But what New Covenant provisions are there that can bring in THE MOST HIGH's people, by obedience, in our day? Again, we saw the answer, in part, in the above Jeremiah 31 passage:

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

The first part of this provision is seen above, where THE MOST HIGH will change where He writes His Law [Torah]. In Israel's case, it was external, on tables of stone. In our case today, it is internal, on tables of the heart. But does THE MOST HIGH write His Laws within everyone who simply claims to be a partaker of His Covenant? Let's look at another passage to get further light:

"Bind up the testimony, seal the law<08451> [Torah] among my disciples." (Isaiah 8:16)

Here we see that THE MOST HIGH's testimony, which is being a 'DO-er' of the Law (James 1:23, 25). It is the performing of the Law [Torah] by Messiah living within you, just as Messiah did 2,000 years ago when He lived within His own body, that is His seal; and this seal is only to be found among Yahushua's Disciples.

Now, let's notice Yahushua's own requirements for anyone who would be called His Disciple:

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27)

"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33)

"If ye continue<3306> in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed..." (John 8:31)

The above requirements will exclude those with mere claims, or even those with a half-hearted commitment to follow Messiah — so we are hereby warned against becoming nominal believers.

Notice in the John 8:31 passage above, that the Greek word <3306> is the same word translated elsewhere as abide. We are told in the above passage that only those who continue, who abide, are Yahushua's Disciples. So let's look at a some of the many conditions that describe those who abide:

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide<3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in my love..." (John 15:10)

"And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth<3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in him..." (1 John 3:24)

"He that saith he abideth <3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1John 2:6)

"Whosoever abideth<3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in him sinneth not..." (1 John 3:6)

"...sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)

By the above passages, we see the New Testament provisions for obedience. When a Believer becomes Born-Again, the spirit of Messiah becomes 'birthed' within. As Messiah grows, and matures within the Believer, it is Messiah-in-you who desires to be obedient. He desires that the Believer would choose to be obedient to His Father.

As the Believer learns to walk in Righteousness, and becomes obedient, Messiah writes Father's Law [Torah], His statutes, commandments, precepts, and judgments on the hearts of those who are His Disciples. He also provides the Grace — His enablement from within — to keep His commandments. Thus we see the final result of the Redeemed Saints, when all is said and done, as we saw above:

"Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." (Psalms 50:5)

"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua." (Revelation 14:12)

Again, we will state that THE MOST HIGH's saints are those who are part of THE MOST HIGH's Covenant, because Yahushua has become their Sacrifice. We then see these same overcoming saints as "they that keep the commandments of THE MOST HIGH, [even; which is] the Faith of Yahushua."

Let's again notice why the doing of the Commandments describes these saints:

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14)

Fiveamprayer, this is a warning given to all who desire to enter in.

Throughout the New Testament we are given many warnings. Some of these warnings tell us exactly why Israel failed to enter in, and how their failure is an example for our admonition and our warning. These warnings are given so that we might be properly instructed, and that we might choose wisely to keep Messiah's Commandments [all of Torah] — so that we might have right to the Tree of Life, and might 'enter in' through the gates into the City.

We will now turn our attention to a few examples of the New Covenant, as contrasted to the Old.

Two Covenants: The Bondwoman and the Free

Much of our misunderstanding of the New Covenant stems from twisting of Scripture, concerning the New Covenant Truths of the Law, as discussed in The Law: According to Scripture. We saw that much of today's understanding of what Paul wrote of the Law is seen in Peter's words:

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist; pervert], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16)

Without getting too far into details of the Law, we will on occasion refer to what Scripture calls lawful and unlawful uses of the Law in the New Covenant. Misunderstanding of legitimate New Covenant purposes of the Law carries over into misunderstanding of the New Covenant itself.

The Allegory of the two Covenants, written by Paul, is no exception. This is an allegory of the two covenants, seen as two mountains, which in turn represent two women, who bring forth two offspring.

Keep in mind that the main focus of Paul's teaching here is on the two kinds of offspring, and on the source that brings forth each kind of offspring. We will begin a few verses prior to where most teachings on this allegory begin, for here is where the main point of the Allegory can be seen:

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you..." (Galatians 4:19)

In this Galatians 4:19 passage above, we see the main focus of the allegory is the offspring about which THE MOST HIGH is concerned, and which He desires — it is that Messiah is to become 'formed' within the Believer. This means not only is the baby to be conceived and born, but that it should grow and mature, and not remain an immature 'baby' all its life. Not only should the Life of Messiah become birthed within us, but we should allow His Life living in us to mature, and begin to walk in obedience, and eventually become just like the Father. There is only one offspring that can achieve this goal, but the other is unable to do so — and it is this contrast that is the focus of Paul's allegory.

All of the subsequent verses in Paul's allegory show how the intended offspring falls far short, if it is not engendered [brought forth] by the proper woman. We now continue in the next verse:

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? (Galatians 4:20-21)

Here we see Paul addressing those Galatians who understand neither the Old Covenant nor the New. It is here that Paul begins to reveal both Covenants, as each being a Husband having dominion over a wife. Paul is addressing those who consider it important to be under the constraint of the Law [Torah] but who are not able to obey it.

Now let us proceed with Paul's example:

22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after [according to] the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to[brings forth] bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is [physical or natural city], and is in bondage with her children.

Up to this point in the narrative, Paul has pictured the 'Old' Covenant as the bondwoman, as a woman who gives birth to that which is according to the flesh, in attempting to bring forth obedience by self-effort — just as we see in Hagar, who brought forth Ishmael as a result of Abraham's unbelief.

Here also, in verse 24 we see the 'Old' Covenant is pictured as Mount Sinai, representing the stone tablets, and the self-effort to obey the Law, reminding us of the Israelites who failed to enter in, and who illustrate the children or offspring of that 'Old' Covenant.

As New Covenant Believers, we now understand that the Law [Torah] is like a looking-glass, or mirror. The mirror can show us the imperfections, but it lacks the power to cleanse. The Israelites in that day were under the constraint of the Law, but they lacked the heart, and more importantly, lacked the Grace and faith necessary to obey the Law.

The offspring are further described in verse 25 as the "Jerusalem that now is," which corresponds to its inhabitants referred to as the 'Circumcision' elsewhere in the New Testament. These represent all those who would try to be justified by self-effort to keep or obey the works of the Law, but who have not been Born-again, and justified by the Blood of Yahushua.

Now let us notice now the contrast of the two different offspring:

26 But Jerusalem which is above [the New Jerusalem] is free [not in bondage], which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh [physical, natural descendants] persecuted him that was born after the Spirit [spiritual descendants], even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. (Galatians 4:19-31)

In the above passages, we see the result of the 'Old' Covenant which [in this allegory] pictures self-effort, simply because there is the absence of the New Covenant provisions — Redemption by Blood, Righteousness by Faith, and the Holy Spirit living within, to supply Grace to empower and enable.

Here we see also in verse 28 and 29, that there is no inheritance to those offspring engendered by the flesh, by self-effort, but only to children of the free woman — the children of Promise, just as Isaac was a child of Promise. Paul tells us (Romans 4:14; Galatians 3:29) that it is not through our effort of being obedient to the Law, but only through Messiah that we become heirs according to the promise.

We must caution, however, that many years of tradition based on misunderstanding of Paul's writings still clings to us as baggage. Because of this tradition, we can miss many important truths of how the various parts of the Law [the Torah, or Father's House Rules] are to be considered, and how they are to be obeyed by His redeemed children. For a discussion of some of what Paul wrote in his epistles.

We will now look at one major highlight of the New Covenant — the concept of Bondage.

The New Covenant and Yokes of Bondage

As New Covenant Believers, much of our understanding of the 'Yoke' of Bondage has been from Paul's epistles. In all of Scripture, the word yoke speaks of bondage. But have we realized there are two 'Yokes' of Bondage, one as part of the 'Old' Covenant, and one as part of the 'New' Covenant? One of these yokes leads to death; the other leads to Life.

One of our main tasks as Believers, then, is to understand them both, so that we might come out from, and avoid, the one that leads to death, and enter in to the one that leads to Life. Let us notice the following passages:

"I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them." (Hosea 11:4)

Here we see that the yoke is taken off, and removed by THE MOST HIGH. As the context shows, this removing of the yoke is how THE MOST HIGH describes Israel's coming out from Egypt, elsewhere called the Bondage of Egypt. This bondage is the bondage of sin, and is explained by Paul partly in Romans 7:2-3, in which the obligation to obey the Law [Torah] is likened to a wife who is bound to a husband by the covenant of marriage, for as long as that husband is alive.

As Paul goes on to explain in Romans 7:3-6, if the Believer [as the wife] has become 'dead' to the Law [no longer under its dominion of sin] by identifying with the death of Messiah, then the Believer is said to be 'dead to the Law by the body of Messiah.' According to the Law [Torah], the wife is no longer in a covenant with [in bondage to] the [dead] husband, but is now free to marry [enter into a new marriage covenant with] Messiah.

That is, once a person is set free from bondage, that one is now free to choose a new Master, and a new marriage Covenant [a new yoke], which we will further discuss below. Let us first notice the contrast to the above passage in Hosea 11:4, as we look at the following passages:

"And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant..." (Ezekiel 20:37)

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light..." (Matthew 11:29-30)

In the Ezekiel 20:37 passage above, we see that THE MOST HIGH promised to bring Israel into the bond of the Covenant, the bondage or prison of the Covenant, as the Hebrew reads — which is describing the 'yoke' of bondage of the New Covenant, as the context further reveals.

Then in the Matthew 11:29-30 passage above, we see the New Covenant fulfillment of this 'yoke' of Bondage. Here we see Yahushua invites His Disciples into the yoke of [bondage] of the marriage covenant. This appeal by Yahushua is a window into the mystery of (Ephesians 5:32) together with (Colossians 1:27), and is the New Covenant Bondservant appeal seen in Exodus:

"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." (Exodus 21:5-6)

So we see that under the Everlasting [New] Covenant, when we identify with the death of Messiah, we become set free from the 'old' yoke [of bondage to Sin and the Law]. Messiah then invites us to choose to take upon ourselves a 'new' yoke [a yoke of bondage of a marriage covenant with Yahushua].

We might say that Messiah sets us free from the old yoke of bondage to the old master, with the hope that we might voluntarily choose to enter into a new yoke of bondage [marriage] with the New Master. It is in this way that we will find rest, and we learn of the mystery of true delight!

Before we look at the last highlight, we must first state a few observations seen in the Scriptures, in which the 'Old' Covenant is contrasted with the 'New' Covenant.

Old vs New: A Contrast

Here we will mention a few statements in the Scriptures, in which the 'Old' Covenant is contrasted with the 'New' Covenant.

First, we must remember that we are not dealing with two separate covenants, but only one — which THE MOST HIGH calls the Everlasting Covenant. This truth can be seen clearly in (Psalms 89:27-33), when in referring to Messiah, we see the covenant promised to Judah and Israel is called an Everlasting Covenant, but is called a New Covenant in (Jeremiah 31:31-33). We see the same parallels in (Hebrews 13:20), where the Covenant in Yahushua's Blood is called the Everlasting covenant, but which Yahushua calls a New Covenant in His Blood in (Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20).

The changes or contrasts between the 'Old' and 'New' versions of the Everlasting Covenant are seen in Scripture as enhancements or upgrades, as it were, to the Everlasting Covenant, whereby all the 'fine print' of the Terms and Conditions stated throughout the 'Old' Testament writings [the Tanak, also called the Law or Torah] remain intact even today — as they are said to be eternal, and will never be 'done away.'

Thus we see throughout the Scriptures that the eternal Torah requirements for THE MOST HIGH's Covenant People have not changed. They are the same for us, as they were for the Israelites, and for Yahushua, except for the specific changes, or 'upgrades' mentioned in Scripture. These New Covenant 'upgrades' are summarized in Jeremiah Chapter 31, and are further listed in the book of Hebrews, where these changes are called 'Better Things.'

As a summary of New Covenant promises in Scripture passages mentioned above (Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36), we saw that THE MOST HIGH will give His people a new heart, and a new Spirit, and will cause His people to walk in His Torah (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This promise is only part of the Torah revelation that His people will become 'Born-Again,' as Messiah becomes 'birthed' within them; and they will be filled with the Holy Spirit to enable and empower them.

We then saw that as part of the New Covenant, THE MOST HIGH promised to put His Law in their inward parts, and write it [internally] in their hearts, rather than [externally] on stone, so that they will have the heart or willingness, as well as the grace or enablement, to obey the Torah (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

Further New Covenant changes are listed in the book of Hebrews. These changes include a change in the Priesthood, wherein Yahushua has become the High Priest, after an eternal order; and a change in the Sacrifice system, wherein the Blood of Yahushua has an active and ongoing role for us today, as His Blood completely removes the consciousness of past sins, and is better than the blood of bulls and goats, which merely covered the sins. As part of the change of the Sacrifices, we are told (in Hebrews 10:8-10) that the 'not my will' as spoken in Psalms 40:7, is established as the new sacrifice, which has taken away the old sacrifice.

We have also seen many changes in the Everlasting Covenant that promised to enhance the Believers' daily walk with Messiah. As a part of these 'New' Covenant changes, we see a heightened awareness of the significance of those provisions of the Everlasting Covenant that remain intact.

As one example, Yahushua revealed to us the importance of our participation in Passover, when He revealed to us the 'New' Covenant significance of Passover in (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:15-20; John 6:53-56). As another example, we can now see the importance of our participation in Messiah's Sabbaths, after Messiah revealed to us one of the reasons the Israelites were refused entry into the Promised Land was that they "despised His Judgments" [His mishpatim, His eternal 'House Rules'] and "polluted His Sabbaths" (Eze 20:13,16,20,21,24).

As another example, Messiah has told us in advance that He will reject the Foolish Virgins for two reasons: 1) because they are considered workers of iniquity (Mt 7:23), which tells us they were in disobedience to the law of Moses; and 2) He did not know them [they avoided the Everlasting Covenant provision that allows His Born-again people to know Him (Ex 31:13; Eze 20:12,20): by keeping His Sabbaths].

He has also told us [in advance] by His prophets that His final judgment against the earth's inhabitants is for the same reason — because they have broken His Everlasting Covenant (Isaiah 24:5), which in context, appears to be soon-coming.

We have seen a few contrasts between the 'Old' and 'New' versions of THE MOST HIGH's Everlasting Covenant.

We have noted that the Torah remains intact for Believers today in the New Covenant. We must now state, however, that according to the Torah, the 'New' Covenant — and the 'new' yoke — is not one of 'required' obedience, or compulsion.

The New Covenant: No Compulsion

Perhaps the most surprising feature of the 'New' Covenant is that it remains as THE MOST HIGH's Everlasting Covenant, but it is now a Covenant in which obedience is no longer required. Under the 'Old' Covenant, obedience was required, under threat of death. Under the 'New' Covenant however, there is no compulsion to come under a 'yoke' [of bondage] of obedience to the Covenant. This difference can be understood in light of THE MOST HIGH's purposes.

Among the 'New' Covenant changes is the removal of the obligation to obey the Law [Torah]. In its place is the opportunity for the Believer to voluntarily choose to obey the Law [Torah]. As we saw above under the heading, 'Yokes of Bondage,' this last change is according to Torah, and reveals some of Fathers purposes in these last days.

One of Father's purposes today is to find a Bride suitable for His Son. Father is looking for those who love His Son — that is, He is looking for those who keep His Commandments (John 14:15). He is looking for those who know His Son — who know that Messiah is the one who gave the Commandments to Moses. Thus Father is looking for those who are Born-Again (who have Messiah 'birthed' within them), and who demonstrate that they know the identity of His Son, by their obedience to Messiah's Commandments written in the Law [the Torah].

When a Believer becomes 'Born-Again,' he is at that time set free from the old yoke of bondage, as discussed above under the heading, 'Yokes of Bondage.' Messiah then invites that one to come under a 'New' yoke of bondage, to become a bond servant of the Master. Notice however, that Yahushua does not compel anyone to become a bond servant. He does, however, compel people to come to Him to be set free, and to repent, and then compels them to come in to dine with Him.

He then desires that those that come to Him, would voluntarily enter into the bond of the 'New' Covenant with Him; and that because of their love for their Master, they would become yoked as bondservants to obedience to Him, and to His Word.

Love, by its very nature, can not be made compulsory; it must be of the free will, and of the heart. Yahushua sets us free, so that we are then truly free to choose whom we will serve. We may then choose to serve Him, and to please Him, and delight to do His will, or we may choose not to do so. Whatever choice we make, reveals whether we love Him, or not. However, let us also remember that He has told us:

"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke 16:13)

Here Yahushua warns us, that after we have been set free from the old master [sin, and the obligation to obey the Law, under threat of death], we now have a choice of whom we will serve. THE MOST HIGH sees to it that everyone must serve one master or another. Let us recall this passage:

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16)

After being set free, many choose not to be in bondage, thinking they are free. There is no compulsion whatsoever. However, the above passage reveals that unless we voluntarily choose to serve [in obedience to the eternal Scriptures], which leads to the fruit of righteousness, we will end up serving sin, which results in death.

It is our choice of whom we will obey.

Many spiritual Leaders today have understood one side of the coin of Paul's writings, but have failed to see the other side of the coin. They understand that as Believers we have 'died to' the bondage of the Law, and to sin. They are in grave error, however, to think the eternal Law [Torah] has been 'done away' or replaced.

According to the Scriptures, if the Law [the Torah] were 'done away, we would not be forgiven by the Blood of Yahushua — because it is the Torah that prescribes forgiveness by an acceptable Blood sacrifice — and so it is only by the Torah that we are redeemed by Yahushua's Blood, and forgiven of our sins (Hebrews 9:22).

Conclusion

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, the Believers are promised a new heart, and a new spirit, prefiguring the experiences of being 'Born-Again' and being filled with the Holy Spirit;

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, the eternal Commandments of Torah are no longer external, written on tables of stone, but are now internal, written on the heart, prefiguring obedience to the same, eternal Torah.

We have seen that the 'New' Covenant provides everything for us that the 'Old' Covenant could not provide, but most importantly, the Grace Messiah gives us, as He lives within us by His Spirit, to enable us, and to empower us to be obedient.

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, instead of trying to obey the Commandments by our own strength, our own ability, it is now 'Messiah-in-us' who gives us the 'Grace' — the delight, and the ability, to keep His Commandments!

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, we too will delight in the Law in the inward man, just as did the apostle Paul (Romans 7:22), when we, as Paul, begin to walk in obedience to Messiah's eternal and Everlasting New Covenant — According to the Scriptures.
Shema Selah, we are to choose if we will follow our Heavenly Father's will--our of our love for HIM!! https://www.facebook.com/fiveam.prayer/videos/1686811004730342/?l=3244203848577284193

Bind Up The Testimony, Seal The Law Among My Disciples!!

Isaiah 8

We are walking in today:  Bind Up The Testimony, Seal The Law Among My Disciples!!

Witness seal throughout the Bible:   H2856 chatham--to seal, seal up, affix, a seal,  affix one's seal, to seal up, fasten up by sealing, make an end, mark, stop.

Esther 8:10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed H2856 it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:

The Torah ..................…
 Deuteronomy  32:34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up H2856 among my treasures?

The prophets ...............…
 Nehemiah 9:38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal H2856 unto it.

The writings .............
 Job 33:16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth H2856 their instruction,

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal H2856 the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

As we look into the identity of those who are partakers of THE MOST HIGH's Covenant, we see another covenant problem coming into view, which we must address. Let's recall a Scripture from above:

"Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:" (Jeremiah 31:32)

As we recall, Israel was redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, and then was 'water Baptized.' They were brought out of Bondage of Egypt, all by THE MOST HIGH's Grace. However, in the above passage, we see that Israel broke THE MOST HIGH's Marriage Covenant, due to their disobedience, which we saw previously.

So we see by Israel's example, that the first New Covenant provision of Blood has been made to bring out THE MOST HIGH's people, out of Bondage to Sin. But what New Covenant provisions are there that can bring in THE MOST HIGH's people, by obedience, in our day? Again, we saw the answer, in part, in the above Jeremiah 31 passage:

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

The first part of this provision is seen above, where THE MOST HIGH will change where He writes His Law [Torah]. In Israel's case, it was external, on tables of stone. In our case today, it is internal, on tables of the heart. But does THE MOST HIGH write His Laws within everyone who simply claims to be a partaker of His Covenant? Let's look at another passage to get further light:

"Bind up the testimony, seal the law<08451> [Torah] among my disciples." (Isaiah 8:16)

Here we see that THE MOST HIGH's testimony, which is being a 'DO-er' of the Law (James 1:23, 25). It is the performing of the Law [Torah] by Messiah living within you, just as Messiah did 2,000 years ago when He lived within His own body, that is His seal; and this seal is only to be found among Yahushua's Disciples.

Now, let's notice Yahushua's own requirements for anyone who would be called His Disciple:

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27)

"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33)

"If ye continue<3306> in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed..." (John 8:31)

The above requirements will exclude those with mere claims, or even those with a half-hearted commitment to follow Messiah — so we are hereby warned against becoming nominal believers.

Notice in the John 8:31 passage above, that the Greek word <3306> is the same word translated elsewhere as abide. We are told in the above passage that only those who continue, who abide, are Yahushua's Disciples. So let's look at a some of the many conditions that describe those who abide:

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide<3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in my love..." (John 15:10)

"And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth<3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in him..." (1 John 3:24)

"He that saith he abideth <3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1John 2:6)

"Whosoever abideth<3306> [abide; dwell; continue; remain] in him sinneth not..." (1 John 3:6)

"...sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)

By the above passages, we see the New Testament provisions for obedience. When a Believer becomes Born-Again, the spirit of Messiah becomes 'birthed' within. As Messiah grows, and matures within the Believer, it is Messiah-in-you who desires to be obedient. He desires that the Believer would choose to be obedient to His Father.

As the Believer learns to walk in Righteousness, and becomes obedient, Messiah writes Father's Law [Torah], His statutes, commandments, precepts, and judgments on the hearts of those who are His Disciples. He also provides the Grace — His enablement from within — to keep His commandments. Thus we see the final result of the Redeemed Saints, when all is said and done, as we saw above:

"Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." (Psalms 50:5)

"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua." (Revelation 14:12)

Again, we will state that THE MOST HIGH's saints are those who are part of THE MOST HIGH's Covenant, because Yahushua has become their Sacrifice. We then see these same overcoming saints as "they that keep the commandments of THE MOST HIGH, [even; which is] the Faith of Yahushua."

Let's again notice why the doing of the Commandments describes these saints:

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14)

Fiveamprayer, this is a warning given to all who desire to enter in.

Throughout the New Testament we are given many warnings. Some of these warnings tell us exactly why Israel failed to enter in, and how their failure is an example for our admonition and our warning. These warnings are given so that we might be properly instructed, and that we might choose wisely to keep Messiah's Commandments [all of Torah] — so that we might have right to the Tree of Life, and might 'enter in' through the gates into the City.

We will now turn our attention to a few examples of the New Covenant, as contrasted to the Old.

Two Covenants: The Bondwoman and the Free

Much of our misunderstanding of the New Covenant stems from twisting of Scripture, concerning the New Covenant Truths of the Law, as discussed in The Law: According to Scripture. We saw that much of today's understanding of what Paul wrote of the Law is seen in Peter's words:

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist; pervert], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16)

Without getting too far into details of the Law, we will on occasion refer to what Scripture calls lawful and unlawful uses of the Law in the New Covenant. Misunderstanding of legitimate New Covenant purposes of the Law carries over into misunderstanding of the New Covenant itself.

The Allegory of the two Covenants, written by Paul, is no exception. This is an allegory of the two covenants, seen as two mountains, which in turn represent two women, who bring forth two offspring.

Keep in mind that the main focus of Paul's teaching here is on the two kinds of offspring, and on the source that brings forth each kind of offspring. We will begin a few verses prior to where most teachings on this allegory begin, for here is where the main point of the Allegory can be seen:

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you..." (Galatians 4:19)

In this Galatians 4:19 passage above, we see the main focus of the allegory is the offspring about which THE MOST HIGH is concerned, and which He desires — it is that Messiah is to become 'formed' within the Believer. This means not only is the baby to be conceived and born, but that it should grow and mature, and not remain an immature 'baby' all its life. Not only should the Life of Messiah become birthed within us, but we should allow His Life living in us to mature, and begin to walk in obedience, and eventually become just like the Father. There is only one offspring that can achieve this goal, but the other is unable to do so — and it is this contrast that is the focus of Paul's allegory.

All of the subsequent verses in Paul's allegory show how the intended offspring falls far short, if it is not engendered [brought forth] by the proper woman. We now continue in the next verse:

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? (Galatians 4:20-21)

Here we see Paul addressing those Galatians who understand neither the Old Covenant nor the New. It is here that Paul begins to reveal both Covenants, as each being a Husband having dominion over a wife. Paul is addressing those who consider it important to be under the constraint of the Law [Torah] but who are not able to obey it.

Now let us proceed with Paul's example:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after [according to] the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to[brings forth] bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is [physical or natural city], and is in bondage with her children.

Up to this point in the narrative, Paul has pictured the 'Old' Covenant as the bondwoman, as a woman who gives birth to that which is according to the flesh, in attempting to bring forth obedience by self-effort — just as we see in Hagar, who brought forth Ishmael as a result of Abraham's unbelief.

Here also, in verse 24 we see the 'Old' Covenant is pictured as Mount Sinai, representing the stone tablets, and the self-effort to obey the Law, reminding us of the Israelites who failed to enter in, and who illustrate the children or offspring of that 'Old' Covenant.

As New Covenant Believers, we now understand that the Law [Torah] is like a looking-glass, or mirror. The mirror can show us the imperfections, but it lacks the power to cleanse. The Israelites in that day were under the constraint of the Law, but they lacked the heart, and more importantly, lacked the Grace and faith necessary to obey the Law.

The offspring are further described in verse 25 as the "Jerusalem that now is," which corresponds to its inhabitants referred to as the 'Circumcision' elsewhere in the New Testament. These represent all those who would try to be justified by self-effort to keep or obey the works of the Law, but who have not been Born-again, and justified by the Blood of Yahushua.

Now let us notice now the contrast of the two different offspring:

26 But Jerusalem which is above [the New Jerusalem] is free [not in bondage], which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh [physical, natural descendants] persecuted him that was born after the Spirit [spiritual descendants], even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. (Galatians 4:19-31)

In the above passages, we see the result of the 'Old' Covenant which [in this allegory] pictures self-effort, simply because there is the absence of the New Covenant provisions — Redemption by Blood, Righteousness by Faith, and the Holy Spirit living within, to supply Grace to empower and enable.

Here we see also in verse 28 and 29, that there is no inheritance to those offspring engendered by the flesh, by self-effort, but only to children of the free woman — the children of Promise, just as Isaac was a child of Promise. Paul tells us (Romans 4:14; Galatians 3:29) that it is not through our effort of being obedient to the Law, but only through Messiah that we become heirs according to the promise.

We must caution, however, that many years of tradition based on misunderstanding of Paul's writings still clings to us as baggage. Because of this tradition, we can miss many important truths of how the various parts of the Law [the Torah, or Father's House Rules] are to be considered, and how they are to be obeyed by His redeemed children. For a discussion of some of what Paul wrote in his epistles.

We will now look at one major highlight of the New Covenant — the concept of Bondage.

The New Covenant and Yokes of Bondage

As New Covenant Believers, much of our understanding of the 'Yoke' of Bondage has been from Paul's epistles. In all of Scripture, the word yoke speaks of bondage. But have we realized there are two 'Yokes' of Bondage, one as part of the 'Old' Covenant, and one as part of the 'New' Covenant? One of these yokes leads to death; the other leads to Life.

One of our main tasks as Believers, then, is to understand them both, so that we might come out from, and avoid, the one that leads to death, and enter in to the one that leads to Life. Let us notice the following passages:

"I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them." (Hosea 11:4)

Here we see that the yoke is taken off, and removed by THE MOST HIGH. As the context shows, this removing of the yoke is how THE MOST HIGH describes Israel's coming out from Egypt, elsewhere called the Bondage of Egypt. This bondage is the bondage of sin, and is explained by Paul partly in Romans 7:2-3, in which the obligation to obey the Law [Torah] is likened to a wife who is bound to a husband by the covenant of marriage, for as long as that husband is alive.

As Paul goes on to explain in Romans 7:3-6, if the Believer [as the wife] has become 'dead' to the Law [no longer under its dominion of sin] by identifying with the death of Messiah, then the Believer is said to be 'dead to the Law by the body of Messiah.' According to the Law [Torah], the wife is no longer in a covenant with [in bondage to] the [dead] husband, but is now free to marry [enter into a new marriage covenant with] Messiah.

That is, once a person is set free from bondage, that one is now free to choose a new Master, and a new marriage Covenant [a new yoke], which we will further discuss below. Let us first notice the contrast to the above passage in Hosea 11:4, as we look at the following passages:

"And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant..." (Ezekiel 20:37)

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light..." (Matthew 11:29-30)

In the Ezekiel 20:37 passage above, we see that THE MOST HIGH promised to bring Israel into the bond of the Covenant, the bondage or prison of the Covenant, as the Hebrew reads — which is describing the 'yoke' of bondage of the New Covenant, as the context further reveals.

Then in the Matthew 11:29-30 passage above, we see the New Covenant fulfillment of this 'yoke' of Bondage. Here we see Yahushua invites His Disciples into the yoke of [bondage] of the marriage covenant. This appeal by Yahushua is a window into the mystery of (Ephesians 5:32) together with (Colossians 1:27), and is the New Covenant Bondservant appeal seen in Exodus:

"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." (Exodus 21:5-6)

So we see that under the Everlasting [New] Covenant, when we identify with the death of Messiah, we become set free from the 'old' yoke [of bondage to Sin and the Law]. Messiah then invites us to choose to take upon ourselves a 'new' yoke [a yoke of bondage of a marriage covenant with Yahushua].

We might say that Messiah sets us free from the old yoke of bondage to the old master, with the hope that we might voluntarily choose to enter into a new yoke of bondage [marriage] with the New Master. It is in this way that we will find rest, and we learn of the mystery of true delight!

Before we look at the last highlight, we must first state a few observations seen in the Scriptures, in which the 'Old' Covenant is contrasted with the 'New' Covenant.

Old vs New: A Contrast

Here we will mention a few statements in the Scriptures, in which the 'Old' Covenant is contrasted with the 'New' Covenant.

First, we must remember that we are not dealing with two separate covenants, but only one — which THE MOST HIGH calls the Everlasting Covenant. This truth can be seen clearly in (Psalms 89:27-33), when in referring to Messiah, we see the covenant promised to Judah and Israel is called an Everlasting Covenant, but is called a New Covenant in (Jeremiah 31:31-33). We see the same parallels in (Hebrews 13:20), where the Covenant in Yahushua's Blood is called the Everlasting covenant, but which Yahushua calls a New Covenant in His Blood in (Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20).

The changes or contrasts between the 'Old' and 'New' versions of the Everlasting Covenant are seen in Scripture as enhancements or upgrades, as it were, to the Everlasting Covenant, whereby all the 'fine print' of the Terms and Conditions stated throughout the 'Old' Testament writings [the Tanak, also called the Law or Torah] remain intact even today — as they are said to be eternal, and will never be 'done away.'

Thus we see throughout the Scriptures that the eternal Torah requirements for THE MOST HIGH's Covenant People have not changed. They are the same for us, as they were for the Israelites, and for Yahushua, except for the specific changes, or 'upgrades' mentioned in Scripture. These New Covenant 'upgrades' are summarized in Jeremiah Chapter 31, and are further listed in the book of Hebrews, where these changes are called 'Better Things.'

As a summary of New Covenant promises in Scripture passages mentioned above (Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36), we saw that THE MOST HIGH will give His people a new heart, and a new Spirit, and will cause His people to walk in His Torah (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This promise is only part of the Torah revelation that His people will become 'Born-Again,' as Messiah becomes 'birthed' within them; and they will be filled with the Holy Spirit to enable and empower them.

We then saw that as part of the New Covenant, THE MOST HIGH promised to put His Law in their inward parts, and write it [internally] in their hearts, rather than [externally] on stone, so that they will have the heart or willingness, as well as the grace or enablement, to obey the Torah (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

Further New Covenant changes are listed in the book of Hebrews. These changes include a change in the Priesthood, wherein Yahushua has become the High Priest, after an eternal order; and a change in the Sacrifice system, wherein the Blood of Yahushua has an active and ongoing role for us today, as His Blood completely removes the consciousness of past sins, and is better than the blood of bulls and goats, which merely covered the sins. As part of the change of the Sacrifices, we are told (in Hebrews 10:8-10) that the 'not my will' as spoken in Psalms 40:7, is established as the new sacrifice, which has taken away the old sacrifice.

We have also seen many changes in the Everlasting Covenant that promised to enhance the Believers' daily walk with Messiah. As a part of these 'New' Covenant changes, we see a heightened awareness of the significance of those provisions of the Everlasting Covenant that remain intact.

As one example, Yahushua revealed to us the importance of our participation in Passover, when He revealed to us the 'New' Covenant significance of Passover in (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:15-20; John 6:53-56). As another example, we can now see the importance of our participation in Messiah's Sabbaths, after Messiah revealed to us one of the reasons the Israelites were refused entry into the Promised Land was that they "despised His Judgments" [His mishpatim, His eternal 'House Rules'] and "polluted His Sabbaths" (Eze 20:13,16,20,21,24).

As another example, Messiah has told us in advance that He will reject the Foolish Virgins for two reasons: 1) because they are considered workers of iniquity (Mt 7:23), which tells us they were in disobedience to the law of Moses; and 2) He did not know them [they avoided the Everlasting Covenant provision that allows His Born-again people to know Him (Ex 31:13; Eze 20:12,20): by keeping His Sabbaths].

He has also told us [in advance] by His prophets that His final judgment against the earth's inhabitants is for the same reason — because they have broken His Everlasting Covenant (Isaiah 24:5), which in context, appears to be soon-coming.

We have seen a few contrasts between the 'Old' and 'New' versions of THE MOST HIGH's Everlasting Covenant.

We have noted that the Torah remains intact for Believers today in the New Covenant. We must now state, however, that according to the Torah, the 'New' Covenant — and the 'new' yoke — is not one of 'required' obedience, or compulsion.

The New Covenant: No Compulsion

Perhaps the most surprising feature of the 'New' Covenant is that it remains as THE MOST HIGH's Everlasting Covenant, but it is now a Covenant in which obedience is no longer required. Under the 'Old' Covenant, obedience was required, under threat of death. Under the 'New' Covenant however, there is no compulsion to come under a 'yoke' [of bondage] of obedience to the Covenant. This difference can be understood in light of THE MOST HIGH's purposes.

Among the 'New' Covenant changes is the removal of the obligation to obey the Law [Torah]. In its place is the opportunity for the Believer to voluntarily choose to obey the Law [Torah]. As we saw above under the heading, 'Yokes of Bondage,' this last change is according to Torah, and reveals some of Fathers purposes in these last days.

One of Father's purposes today is to find a Bride suitable for His Son. Father is looking for those who love His Son — that is, He is looking for those who keep His Commandments (John 14:15). He is looking for those who know His Son — who know that Messiah is the one who gave the Commandments to Moses. Thus Father is looking for those who are Born-Again (who have Messiah 'birthed' within them), and who demonstrate that they know the identity of His Son, by their obedience to Messiah's Commandments written in the Law [the Torah].

When a Believer becomes 'Born-Again,' he is at that time set free from the old yoke of bondage, as discussed above under the heading, 'Yokes of Bondage.' Messiah then invites that one to come under a 'New' yoke of bondage, to become a bond servant of the Master. Notice however, that Yahushua does not compel anyone to become a bond servant. He does, however, compel people to come to Him to be set free, and to repent, and then compels them to come in to dine with Him.

He then desires that those that come to Him, would voluntarily enter into the bond of the 'New' Covenant with Him; and that because of their love for their Master, they would become yoked as bondservants to obedience to Him, and to His Word.

Love, by its very nature, can not be made compulsory; it must be of the free will, and of the heart. Yahushua sets us free, so that we are then truly free to choose whom we will serve. We may then choose to serve Him, and to please Him, and delight to do His will, or we may choose not to do so. Whatever choice we make, reveals whether we love Him, or not. However, let us also remember that He has told us:

"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke 16:13)

Here Yahushua warns us, that after we have been set free from the old master [sin, and the obligation to obey the Law, under threat of death], we now have a choice of whom we will serve. THE MOST HIGH sees to it that everyone must serve one master or another. Let us recall this passage:

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16)

After being set free, many choose not to be in bondage, thinking they are free. There is no compulsion whatsoever. However, the above passage reveals that unless we voluntarily choose to serve [in obedience to the eternal Scriptures], which leads to the fruit of righteousness, we will end up serving sin, which results in death.

It is our choice of whom we will obey.

Many spiritual Leaders today have understood one side of the coin of Paul's writings, but have failed to see the other side of the coin. They understand that as Believers we have 'died to' the bondage of the Law, and to sin. They are in grave error, however, to think the eternal Law [Torah] has been 'done away' or replaced.

According to the Scriptures, if the Law [the Torah] were 'done away, we would not be forgiven by the Blood of Yahushua — because it is the Torah that prescribes forgiveness by an acceptable Blood sacrifice — and so it is only by the Torah that we are redeemed by Yahushua's Blood, and forgiven of our sins (Hebrews 9:22).

Conclusion

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, the Believers are promised a new heart, and a new spirit, prefiguring the experiences of being 'Born-Again' and being filled with the Holy Spirit;

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, the eternal Commandments of Torah are no longer external, written on tables of stone, but are now internal, written on the heart, prefiguring obedience to the same, eternal Torah.

We have seen that the 'New' Covenant provides everything for us that the 'Old' Covenant could not provide, but most importantly, the Grace Messiah gives us, as He lives within us by His Spirit, to enable us, and to empower us to be obedient.

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, instead of trying to obey the Commandments by our own strength, our own ability, it is now 'Messiah-in-us' who gives us the 'Grace' — the delight, and the ability, to keep His Commandments!

We have seen that under the 'New' Covenant, we too will delight in the Law in the inward man, just as did the apostle Paul (Romans 7:22), when we, as Paul, begin to walk in obedience to Messiah's eternal and Everlasting New Covenant — According to the Scriptures.

Epilogue

Although we have touched on a few highlights of the New Covenant, there is much yet to discuss. We must yet look at Father's Everlasting Covenant, to see further details of how the 'Old' is related to the 'New,' and how we are to 'connect the dots' in our understanding.

We must look further at New Covenant Liberty — at Yokes of Bondage, and the freedom to choose.

We must look further at Passover, to see how the Blood of the New Covenant is to be sprinkled physically within the Holy place [our inner man] of our Tabernacle or Temple [our bodies].

We must look further at some of the Difficult Words of Paul, and see how these all confirm the many sublime features of Father's Everlasting Covenant.

Shema Selah will we chose the best that the Most High has for us, His teachings and instructions??! https://www.facebook.com/fiveam.prayer/videos/1685196931558416/?l=5726694161513005616