MyPeople

As Jesus revealed who His true disciples were, He gave us a very serious insight. He said, "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord", shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Mt. 7:21-23, see also 2 Thess. 2:7-10). If these ministry works mentioned by Jesus do not identify us as being ones who are doing the Father's will, then what does?! Hopefully, this question will be answered as we continue our study. It doesn't matter how we have ministered to others in Jesus' name, if we have not been obedient to the will of the Father in our own lives. In Mt. 7 we also see warnings about judging others without examining ourselves first, and seeking repentance and deliverance for "the plank" in our own eye (v.1-5). This is a very serious situation among us today. We seek the wonders, but not the repentance and change. Jesus brought the good news also in this passage telling us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (v. 7-8). There are good gifts waiting to be given to us, if we will seek Him first(v. 11). The life found in Christ is not a "do whatever you want to do" kind of life. It is a life that requires God's people to get the planks out of our own eyes through repentance, and to seek Him continually. However, we are assured that if we will do that, great fruit will come of it (v. 16-18). Jesus also promised, "...how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (v. 11). We go from a serious warning, to the heights of all good things in this passage. What is the Father's will for His people in regard to these things? We will see an important truth for this time given to us from this week's Sabbath reading titled Mattot-Mass'ei translated, "the journeys of the tribes". This Sabbath is the last Sabbath before the beginning of the month of Av (meaning "Father" and "Consoler") the fifth month on the Hebrew calendar. The beginning of the new month of Av is called in Hebrew Rosh Chodesh Av. Within this new month, the sin of the ten spies, who brought back a discouraging report to the congregation of Israel, and the destruction of the two temples of God in history as a result of the sin of God's people, are remembered this month. The destruction of both temples occurred many hundreds of years apart but on the same date, the 9th of Av. Therefore, the first nine days of Av are spent in mourning, fasting, and repentance. Following that date, however, the 15th of Av represents a completely different occurrence. From the 10th of Av forward, joyful celebration begins for that coming 15th day of Av. The 15th day of Av is a marriage holiday, celebrating the finding of one's predestined soul mate. It is one of the happiest days on the Jewish calendar. We who believe and wait on the return of Christ, to be joined to Him in the marriage supper of the Lamb, can relate to the prayer said during this month: "May we soon merit the coming Moshiach (Messiah/Christ), and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash (House of God), so that the times we yearn for will become a reality, especially in our time. Amen." This is very much like the prayer of the Spirit and the Bride in the Book of Revelation regarding the return of Jesus: "Come!" (Rev. 22:17), and "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" (v. 20). To me, the verses from Mt. 7, the Sabbath lesson of this week, and the revelation concerning the month of Av, all have an important message for these end times before the return of Christ. Let's look at Isaiah 66, which is a designated reading from the haftarah for this special Sabbath. In this chapter, God clearly states His will regarding His people, and the incredible fruits that result from the doing of His will. The LORD begins this section of Isaiah by asking "Where is the house that you will build Me?" He makes it clear that His people have made the sacrifices and offerings of His house meaningless as they follow their own ways, having indulged in sin and idolatry. The LORD will send delusions upon His people, because of it (see also 2 Thess. 2:11-12). Not only did they not do the Father's will, but they did not seek Him, or hear Him: "Because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight." (Isa. 66:4). The LORD's house, His Beit HaMikdash, is destroyed by the sin of His own people, as remembered on the 9th of Av. However, the LORD is looking for certain ones among those who call themselves His people, who understand His will: "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor (ani- humble, lowly, needy) and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles (hared- is fearful, reverential) at My word." (v. 2, see also Ps. 51:16-17 and Ps. 34:18-19). As in Mt. 7, we start out in Isa. 66 with a people who claim to be God's people, even doing the work of ministry in the offerings and sacrifices, but serving lawlessness instead because they are not doing the Father's will. Isaiah tells us that the Father's will is a repentant heart in the humble, contrite person. As Jesus warned, we are looking to pull specks out of others' eyes, and seeking to do signs, wonders, and miracles in His name, while He is looking for our humble, repentant heart before Him. In Isa. 66, the LORD speaks directly to those who do humbly tremble before Him. He tells them that there is a sound and a voice going forth from His city, and His temple. Zion is giving birth! Not only is Zion giving birth, but Israel as a nation is rebirthed also. Rejoice and be glad "That you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation (Av) of her bosom, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." (v. 11). Because of this humble trembling before God of the repentant ones, the Gentiles will flow glory like a stream for the comfort of God's people (v. 12). The judgment of the LORD is poured out upon all flesh until all nations come and see the glory of the LORD (v. 16, 18). There is yet another great fruit that will come forth from the humble and contrite heart: "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me", says the LORD, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon (Rosh Chodesh) to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me." (v. 22-23). All of this poured forth from the Father's will because of the repentance of even one. In this chapter of Isaiah, we see the destruction caused to the LORD's house by His unrepentant people, also represented in the first nine days of Av, but then we see a shift in the spiritual winds, as God looks for and finds among those who call themselves His people, even one, who comes humbly, contrite and trembling before Him. We also see the same principle in another place in scripture where the repentance of God's people leads to the healing of a nation, even a nation experiencing God's judgment (2 Chron. 7:14). The Apostle Peter wrote, "'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time..." (1 Pet. 5:5-6). As Isaiah did, Peter also connected the new creation to those of a humble heart saying, "...what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;" (2 Peter 3:11-14). God is patiently waiting for us, His people, to come to repentance (v. 9). This is the will of the Father, and this is what breaks the spirit of lawlessness. I hope I have been able to express to you what I saw in these verses: the connection of repentance, even in just one of God's people, to a birth of Zion, and a new rebirth of all nations, and even all creation. The Sabbath scriptures of the Rosh Chodesh Av, and its prayer, reflect this awesome truth. The place of repentance for believers is not a place of condemnation, but a place of cleasning and renewal. It is a place where God can identify those who belong to Him, and find the "one" who does the Father's will. If you would like to join yourself to the will of the Father, you can pray: "Heavenly Father, I come open before you with only the righteousness and grace of Your Son, Jesus, our Messiah, to cover Me. I ask Your mercy and forgiveness for disregarding Your will, and ignoring Your voice. Forgive me for the destruction that this causes to Your house. Your Word, spoken and written, causes me to bow my head before You, because Your Word, Jesus, is filled with Your glory. Cleanse my heart and my ways by the Blood of Jesus, Who died and rose from the dead for me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, my Comforter and my Consolation, so that Your will is fulfilled within me. I join with others who are praying during this month of Av for the coming of Messiah, our destined and perfect soul mate. I ask these things in Messiah's name, Jesus. Amen."