You shall have no other gods (part 2)

Understanding the Father is the key to being able to adhere to this commandment. If one doesn’t take the time to understand and know Elohim, (Elohim is Hebrew for God) one will easily be swayed by the wind. Someone right now is saying, “We know God through Jesus.” This is where my fear begins. We can easily see in the Torah and from the Prophets that their is a name for Elohim. Out of reverence for the third commandment they used what is known as the tetragrammaton, YHWH, in Hebrew it is the letters, Yod, Heh, Waw, and Heh. Many will pronounce this Yahweh, YAH being emphasized here. Some pronounce His name Yahovah, and there is some debate, i believe the important part is in the Yah. Think of it this way, Chris is short for Christopher, same name technically, it can be spelled, Kris, Kristopher, Kristofer, Christofer, Cris . . . You get the idea. Anyway, all are the same name and in some instances pronunciation can be slightly different, that’s a little harder to explain in writing without dots and tittles which i am not able to do in this program easily. Probably another reason the scribes were more comfortable writing YHWH.

Moving on, when the angel Gabriel came to Joseph he didn’t say name the boy Jesus, he actually said, name the boy Yahoshua. To really get the significance here we need to go back a bit further. Moses, by Elohim’s instruction, appointed Joshua as his successor. However, Joshua wasn’t always Joshua, his name was Hoshea, which means, salvation. If you didn’t already know, names in the Scriptures are important. They have meaning, and purpose, and help drive the narrative of Elohim’s story. Moses, changes Hoshea to Yahoshua, (Numbers 13:16) or in English, Joshua, which means YAH is SALVATION. Joshua was going to lead Israel into the promise land but it was through YAH (Yahweh). The true meaning of the name Jesus is simply Salvation, like the name Hoshea. Some good pastors and teachers who study have added to the meaning of Jesus, God-Saves or God is Salvation. It’s at least a step in the right direction but why the change? Compromise? We know the real name and its meaning is glorious. Yahoshua, the only begotten Son of Elohim, came to reconcile us to the Father, and through His blood we are brought into the promise land. Yah truly is salvation. “I and My Father are ONE.” John 10:30

Here is why i feel this is more significant now, than it is being considered within the Body of Messiah. John 5:19 “Therefore Yahoshua responded and said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do naught by Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He does, the Son also does likewise.’” It goes on and actually the entire fifth chapter shows the relevance of knowing the Father. In fact if we spent a little more time in the Old Testament we would actually come to know Yahoshua even more and certainly appreciate more of the writings of the Gospels as they are full of Prophecies being fulfilled. Outside of this time of year of course when many look at a few Prophecies in Isaiah. John 5:46 “For if you believed Moses, you would have believed Me, since he wrote about Me.” i certainly don’t want to take anything away from the New Testament Scriptures, so don’t hear that in any of this; However, we should understand that what we have today in the New Testament was not widely available until a relatively short time ago.

What did the early church have and look to? What were they encouraged to know and understand, and told to use? Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for straightening, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) What many fail to understand is that when Paul wrote these words the New Testament wasn’t a thing. In fact at the time of his writing this letter, only roughly 17 of the now 27 books of the New Testament had been penned, and were not widely circulated as many were being written at roughly the same period of time. So for Paul to tell Timothy what he wrote above gives validity to us today to search and know our Father YHWH and His Son Yahoshua, through what we call today, the Old Testament.

Why am i so concerned about this given since roughly 350 AD Iesus later translated Jesus has been used and as many have said to me, “this is how we know Him and He is faithful.” Yes, i would agree. However, as the day approaches of His return i feel pressed to express to this generation, the generation that is talked about being around during a time of great deception. “For false messiahs and false prophets shall arise, and they shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. See I have forewarned you.” (Matthew 24:24-25) There are many other passages that talk about this but this blog is already longer than i like but i will share one other critical passage on this point. “I have come in My Father’s Name and you do not receive Me, if another comes in his own name, him you would receive.” (John 5:43) We should not, no, we cannot separate the two there is POWER IN THE NAME, imagine if we went back as a Body of Messiah to His true name?

In Micah chapter three there are many warnings and if you take the time to read them you will see that not all false teachers and prophets are easily recognized. Listen to this and see if it fits what you see and hear in many churches today. “Its head give judgment for a bribe; its priests (pastors and teachers) teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on YWHW (the Lord) and say, ‘Is not YWHW (the Lord) in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.” (Micah 3:11-12, parentheses added by me)

i am going to leave it here for now. There is much more to be said, there is much more i want to say! But for now chew on this, think about it, read through Micah 3. Just start praying about it and try using the name Yahweh when you talk to Elohim the Father and do it in the name of Yahoshua. Search Him out in Scripture, the whole of Scripture. Seek for Him as for hidden treasure. You will not be disappointed.

You are loved,

cj

You shall have no other gods

We assume this is an easy commandment to follow. It isn’t like we have high places in which we offer sacrifices to other mighty ones. Most people i know who would identify as Christian would even say that this is “one of the commandments that still applies in its entirety”. i was going to at this point look at other ways we as a community of Yahshua have inadvertently placed other gods before YWHW. However, as i have thought about this for some time and have already written part three of this series before parts 1 & 2. i have come to the conclusion that rather than talk about other ways we slip in unacceptable mighty ones it would be best to understand YWHW. More precisely, understanding the ways He desires us, as His creation, to worship Him.

Have you ever heard of the 5 love languages? There is a book out there and some quiz you can take to find out how you give and receive love. What the quiz reveals is your love languages. You might receive love through words of affirmation but express love by acts of kindness. Knowing this helps you and your spouse, if they are willing, to understand how to love you better, and how to better understand the way you love them in return. If you are both on the same page ideally you will begin to love them intentionally in ways they receive love and appreciate more the ways they are already showing you love, and vice versa. The only problem with this idea is that as humans we change and so does the way we receive love, express love, even appreciate love. We in short are fickle. This can also be exciting for couples who are truly committed to making things work, and a massive barrier for those that think love is the emotion rather than the act.

In regards to our relationship with YWHW our Elohim there is one vast difference. Although, understanding takes time, and because we are flawed, flesh driven, sinful, humans, the way we want to express love changes; His doesn’t. Our Elohim never changes. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our Elohim will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

For I YWHW do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6

But the kindness of YWHW is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who revere Him, and His righteousness to children’s children.” Psalm 103:17

Yahshua ha’Mashiah is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

This should make it completely clear, we ought to find out how YWHW wants us to love, honor, and yes worship Him, out of a desire to be faithful, pleasing, and even obedient in our love. When we begin to love Elohim in our own way, we begin to allow compromise into our relationship and it is at this point we are susceptible to worshiping other mighty ones, in layman’s terms, gods, even elevating our religion, traditions, and church community, above Elohim. In turn breaking the first, second, third, fourth, take your pick, tenth, commandment. We need to start asking the question, how does Our Heavenly Father desire us to love Him? And in turn begin to love that way.

“SO why do you keep calling Me ‘Adonai, Adonai!’ When you don’t do what I say?”

You are loved,

cj