SpiritAbundance

      

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge...to another faith...to another gifts of healings...to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy...to another discerning of spirits...to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

      As I was reading the selections of scripture that are part of this week's Sabbath portion, I was directed to a common thread that ran through them. I would like to look at this thread to learn more about it.

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Yitro, meaning "Abundance." Yitro, whom we call "Jethro" in English, was also the father-in-law of Moses, and we read about him in Exodus 18, beginning with verse 1: "And Jethro (yitro - "his abundance", "his excellence", a tent cord, hanging over, hanging down, that which exceeds measure or limit, remnant, remainder, exceeding, plentiful), the priest (kohen - priest, chief, ruler, officer, prince) of Midian (meaning strife, brawling, contention, quarrelsome, discord), Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Israel His people - that the LORD had brought (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel out of Egypt."

     Jethro came to visit Moses, and "Moses told his father-in-law of all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians." (v. 8-9).

     At hearing of the wonderful things that the LORD had done, Jethro had a moment of revelation: "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods; for in the very thing in which they (the gods) behaved proudly, He was above them." Jethro then made sacrifices and offerings to God, and the elders of the Israelites came and shared a covenant meal of bread (lehem/laham - bread, food, shewbread, grain/fight, war, make war, overcome, prevail, use as food, to battle as destruction, devour enemies) with Jethro before God. (v. 11-12). 

     The Hebrew root for "bread", laham (see above), has a very deep meaning. The idea of eating this bread is connected to the idea of prevailing against an enemy. We see this usage in Num. 14:8-9. Jesus also told us that He was our Bread of life sent from heaven and we eat this Bread, being His body broken, in our Communion with Him. Jesus overcame all enemies, even the world, death, hell and the grave.

     As we read this, we can say that Jethro had a revelatory moment of awareness and knowledge of the LORD.  What he had not known before, he now knew with assurance. This is similar to a "born again" experience.

     After this, we begin to see the thread that will travel through this Yitro, "Abundance", Sabbath reading. Jethro gave Moses a word of wise counsel, a word of wisdom that would help, strengthen, and advise an over-burdened Moses as he governs and judges more a million Israelites. Jethro said to Moses: "Listen now to my voice (qol - voice, thunder, proclamation, command, thunderings); I will give you counsel (ya'as - counsellor, counsel, advice, advise, guide, command), and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-statutes and (*[vaw]-aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-laws, and show them (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-way in which they must walk and (*[vaw]-aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-work they must do." (v. 19-20).

     Jethro, a ruler who came out of a place whose name means "strife, brawling, contention, discord, quarrelsome" (see "Midian" above), is now able to offer Godly wisdom and counsel to Moses. This is a picture of the work of the Holy Spirit in Jethro. Isaiah described the Holy Spirit as it would manifest in the Messiah/Christ: "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD." (Isa. 11:2). 

     Jethro told Moses to listen to his voice (see qol above).  In Proverbs 8, Wisdom is described: "Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?...Counsel ('esa/ya'as - counsel, advice, purpose, prudence/see ya'as above) is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth." (v. 1, 14-16). Jethro's or Yitro's office as a priest, also includes the meaning of prince and ruler (see kohen above). His counsel of wisdom to Moses was to make it easier for Moses to judge the people of Israel, as also mentioned here in Proverbs 8. (see Ex. 18:13-14). As we see from the verses from 1 Corinthians 12 at the top of the page, and the verses above from Isaiah, the word of wisdom is one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

      We see another characteristic of the Holy Spirit of God as Jethro advised Moses to "Stand before God for the people." This is a position of intercession. The Greek word in the New Testament used as meaning the Holy Spirit is parakletos, which means "called to one's aid, advocate, counsel for defense, intercessor, lead into a deeper knowledge of the Gospel truth, giver of divine strength, comforter, consoler." Finally, Jethro commands Moses to teach the statutes, laws, the way and the walk which the people must know and follow. These four things are connected to the *aleph-tav or the *vaw-aleph-tav in written Hebrew as shown above from Ex. 18. This means that these four things are identified or connected to the Messiah/Christ (see *note below). One of the divine purposes of the Holy Spirit as revealed by Jesus is: "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper/Comforter (parakletos - see above), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (Jn. 14:25-26).

     Paul also wrote of the powerful intercession that the Holy Spirit makes on our behalf before God: "Likewise the Spirit (pneuma - third Person of the Trinity and co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, Holy Ghost, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord) also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings (stenagmos - groaning, a sigh) which cannot be uttered...He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Rom. 8:26-27, excerpt).

     Jethro also told Moses above to teach the people the *aleph-tav words, commands, ways and works connected to the Messiah/Christ, which is Jesus. As we can see from Jesus' words above in Jn. 14, this is the function of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also said of the Holy Spirit: "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." (Jn. 16:14).

     Paul wrote above that the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings and sighs that cannot be expressed in human language. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Helper/Comforter in Jn. 14 above. The Hebrew word used for "Comforter" is naham, which means, "comfort, repent, ease, to console, be sorry, have compassion, to sigh, to groan, to lament, to grieve." Not only do we see the connection in Hebrew to groaning and sighing in intercession, but through the Hebrew word naham we also see the connection of the Comforter to repentance. Repentance is not achieved by the strength of the will of man, but by the sovereign move of the Spirit of God upon and within us. Scripture tells us of Esau, who had changed his mind about rejecting the blessing. However: "...he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears." (Heb. 12:17). He desired to repent but no door of repentance was opened to him. Two of the reading portions of this Yitro, "Abundance", Sabbath, deals with deep repentance.

     Isaiah chapter 6 presents us with the vision of heaven that brought Isaiah his calling to be a prophet. In his vision, Isaiah saw (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-Lord (Adonai) sitting on His throne in (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-temple. Upon seeing the awesome sights and sounds of heaven, Isaiah was moved to repentance, saying: "Woe is me, for I am undone (dama - cut off, perish, lay waste, bring to silence, cut off at the sight of the Theophany)! Because I am a man of unclean (tame' - defiled, polluted, unclean, impure) lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-King, the LORD of hosts." (Isa. 6:1-5).

     As Isaiah cried out the words above, an angel took a live coal (Heb. root word resep/sarap - hot stone, glowing stone or coal, flame, firebolt, spark/set on fire, kindle) from the altar in heaven, and touched Isaiah's mouth with it, saying: "Behold, this has touched you lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged (kapar- atonement, reconciliation, forgiven, atonement made)." (v. 6-7). Then (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-voice of the Lord then spoke sending Isaiah forth with the prophetic message to the people. (v. 8-10).

     The sight of the Messiah/Christ in heaven causes Isaiah to cry out in repentance. Where is the Holy Spirit in this encounter? I see the Holy Spirit in the flaming coal taken from the altar. John the Baptist said that the Messiah/Christ (Jesus) would come baptizing in the Holy Spirit and fire. (see Lk. 3:16-17). When the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in the upper room on Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, He descended as tongues of fire that rested upon the heads of every disciple. (see Acts 2:1-4) The first indication of the touch of this fire of the Holy Spirit was a change in tongues or language. Their mouths, like Isaiah's, would now be used as vessels of the Lord. Jesus also connected the Helper/Comforter (see above) with repentance: "And when He (the Helper/Comforter) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." Jesus also connected the Holy Spirit with prophecy. (Jn. 16:8, Jn. 16:13).

     We read from another portion of this week's Yitro Sabbath in Nehemiah 8: "Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of/before (panim - before, face, presence, countenance, person, from before time, turned towards the face) the Water (mayim - waters, waterspring, washing, waterflood, waters of refreshment, waters of destruction) Gate (sa'ar - gate, door, gate of entrance, heaven, gate of the temple/tabernacle, split open, set a price); and they told Ezra ('ezra/'ezer/'azar - help, succor, assistance, one who helps/aid, female helper/help, helper, surround, protect, aid, succor) the scribe to bring (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Israel." (v. 1).

     There is important information in this first verse from Nehemiah Ch. 8. The whole congregation of Israel, which is identified with the *aleph-tav or Messiah/Christ, is standing before the "face" of the Water Gate. The waters described here are like flood waters that wash (or destroy) according to the Hebrew meaning. The prophet Ezekiel wrote: "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols...I will put (*vaw-aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-My-Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. ...you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses...Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations." (Ezek. 36:25, 27-29, 31). The Spirit of God is associated with the cleansing process of God's people, as well as their repentance.

     Ezra, whose name means "helper" (see also parakletos above) is like the Comforter/Holy Spirit who gives aid. The Book of the Law of God which Ezra reads from is associated with the Messiah/Christ, by the presence of the written *aleph-tav in Hebrew. Ezra assigned Levites who explained, gave the sense of, and "helped the people to understand" the Word of God being read to them (see parakletos above: "to lead into a deeper understanding of Gospel truth"). (Neh. 8:7-8, see also Jn. 16:14 above).

     As the people heard the words of the *aleph-tav Book, and were led by the Levites into the understanding of the Word, they began to weep and mourn in repentance because they had not kept the Words of the *aleph-tav Book, which is identified with the Messiah/Christ. The governor, Nehemiah, Ezra the scribe, and the Levites began to comfort and console the people. (v. 9-12). Not only the repentance from being given the understanding of the Word, but the comfort and consolation afterwards are all the work of the Comforter (see naham and parakletos above), the Holy Spirit.

     Paul wrote about the cleansing process that begins in the Word of God and includes the inspiration of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote that Christ gave Himself for the church: "...that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:25-27).

     Paul also wrote to Titus, saying: "...when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7).

     The title of this week's Sabbath portion is Yitro, means "Abundance". We see above that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is poured out in abundance upon us. Joel wrote: "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out (sapak - to profusely expend [soul, life], spill forth [blood, libation], gush out, shed blood, poured out like water, intensively) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-My-Spirit on all flesh..." (Joel 2:28).

     The above writings of Paul, and the prophecy of Joel above, tell us that both the Word, which is Jesus and His blood, and the Spirit, work together to bring us our regeneration and renewal. John wrote: "...There are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one." (1 Jn. 5:7-8, excerpt).

     If you would like to learn more about the work of the Holy Spirit with the Word of God, you can join my prayer: "Merciful Father, how thankful I am that You sent Your Son, Jesus, the Word, for my salvation! How thankful I am that Your Son, baptized me with Your Holy Spirit! I welcome the cleansing water and renewal of the Word and the Spirit. I welcome the wisdom of Your Spirit. I welcome the guidance of Your Spirit who teaches me Your truth, leads me into repentance, and then comforts and consoles me in renewal and refreshing. Forgive me when I have tried to accomplish these things in my own strength and understanding. Jesus, my Shepherd guides me to the still waters of Your Holy Spirit and the green pastures of the Word of God. I need both in my life, Lord, not only for my own sake, but as a witness to others. I ask this mercy in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

Standing?

   

Peanut Butter Sandwich

     Above is an image of a peanut butter sandwich. I hope that the meaning of this image will be made clearer later in this entry. 

       This Sabbath reading portion, Nitzavim, meaning "are standing," is the Sabbath before the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah, which occurs next week. It is the last Sabbath of the sixth month (according to the religious calendar) of Elul, the month of repentance. Many people associate the number six with man. The number six is also associated with the Hebrew letter vaw, which has a deeper meaning. The letter vaw has the meaning of "a nail, a tent peg, a hook, joining together, making secure, becoming bound or nailed to." Jesus was nailed to the cross. The cross is also represented by the Hebrew letter tav, which means "a mark, a sign, 'x' or cross, ownership, to seal, covenant, join two things together, the last."

     Our  Nitzavim Sabbath reading portion to me has more to do with man being joined to God, as this sixth month of repentance comes to an end before the first fall Feast, the Feast of Trumpets. The Sabbath title comes from this verse containing the words of Moses: "All of you stand (nawtsab(v)- stand upright, appointed, deputy, take one's stand, stand firm, to establish, to be fixed, to be set over, to be ready, to be planted) today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives - also the stranger (gar/gur - stranger, alien, guest, foreigner, sojourner, foreign shepherds/gather together, assemble, stand in awe, remain, stranger, to remain in the temple, to receive under protection) who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water - that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today, as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I make this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today..." (Deut. 29-10-15).

     As we can see, no one is left out of this occasion of taking a stand and being joined together with the LORD. Wives, children, even foreigners (see gar/gur, above) and those who are not physically present are included. This covenant is described in written Hebrew with the modifier of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega. This identifies the covenant as being associated with Messiah/Christ Jesus (see *note below).

     The use of the Hebrew word nawtsab(v) in connection with the idea of standing is used powerfully in other verses in scripture as well. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock (sur - includes the meaning of the identity of God, and 'to bind together')." (Ex. 33:21). David wrote of his relationship with the LORD: "By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set/stand me before Your face forever." (Ps. 41:11-12). In a section describing the excellence of Wisdom, Prov. 8:2 says: "She (referring to Wisdom) takes her stand on the top of the high hill (root word: rum - exalt, extol, lift up, lofty, to rise, to rise up), beside the way, where the paths meet."

     The purpose of standing before the LORD and being joined to Him in covenant is also stated in Deut. 29: "...so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root (seres - deep permanent root, cause to take root) bearing bitterness (ro's/ro's - gall [see Mt. 27:33-35], venom, poison, poison from the poppy, hemlock, bitter) or wormwood (la'ana - hemlock, to curse, be accursed, poisonous, bitter herb)..." (v. 18). Those who become separated from the LORD would be separated from the tribes of Israel and the curses of the Book of the Law would come upon them, and their names would be blotted out from under heaven. (see v. 19-22). It was the desire of the LORD through this occasion to impress upon His people a warning they would remember not to worship other gods or commit the vile abominations of the Canaanite tribes before them. It was to be a joining of hearts. He did not want them to suffer the curses of the Law, and, as we will see below, the LORD made a personal provision to remove the curse.

     The Law of Moses carried both blessings if perfectly followed, and curses if broken. Paul, a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin, explained Messiah/Christ's role in covering the curse of the Law: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:13-14).  Earlier, the apostle Paul quoted the prophet Habakkuk, who wrote: "...the just (sadiq/sadaq - righteous, just, lawful, as justified and vindicated by God/cleansed, put or made right, justify, save, to absolve, to acquit, purge oneself, cause to prevail) shall live (haya - live, revive from sickness or death, quicken, preserve alive, restore to life) by faith (emuna - faith, truth, truly, stability, faithfulness)." (Gal. 3:10-11, Hab. 2:4).

     Whether we are Jewish or Gentile, the LORD told His prophet Jeremiah that it was never His original intention that His people should live under a religious system (see Jer. 7:22-26, Jer. 11:6-10). The LORD said that previously His only commandment to His people had been to hear His voice and obey it, however, His people had refused to hear from Him directly at Mt. Sinai. They wanted someone else, in that case Moses, to hear for them. It requires a personal knowledge of, and relationship with, the LORD in order to hear His voice. Many Christians also do not have a personal relationship with either God or our Savior, Jesus. It is the pitfall of the religious system of man.

     The LORD says in His Word to seek His face until we find it. (See Ps. 27:7-8, 2 Chron. 7:14, Rev. 3:19-22). The LORD says that He has carved each of our names into the palms of His hands so that He can never forget us. Not only has He engraved our names on His hands, but He tells us to see our names there. (See Isa. 49:15-16). It doesn't get more personal than that! Jesus addressed even the thoughts of those that He spoke to because He knew them. (See Lk. 5:22-26, Jn. 2:23-25). The LORD doesn't just see the outer appearance that we like to present to the world, but He sees every thought of our hearts. (See 1 Sam. 16:6-7). The LORD sees and knows our hearts. Do we see and know His heart?

     When fixed ideas or doctrines begin to make me feel distanced from the Person of the LORD, these Sabbath reading portions help me to once again adjust my focus upon the LORD who created me and sent His Son to save me. It is most wonderful to learn about the LORD through the Sabbath that He gave to man. If you have never considered the LORD of the Sabbath, He is beautifully expressed by David in the familiar and beloved Psalm 23.

     Even Moses, the lawgiver, tried to convince the people of God to draw nearer to Him in the Nitzavim, "are standing" Sabbath reading portion: "...return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you, and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,  ..And (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD your God will circumcise (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off...But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." (Deut. 30:2-14, excerpt).

     This is the same Moses who told the children of Israel this command of the LORD: "Hear O Israel, the LORD is one! You shall love (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart." (Deut. 6:4-6).

     If we want to get closer to the LORD, we do it with the common language that He established between Himself and man - the language of love. 

     It is taught that this past month, Elul, was a month of repentance in preparation for the coming Feast of Trumpets, but Who were we repenting to? Why were we repenting? Out of what did our repentance flow? Obligation? Religion? Because someone told us to? If we repented because we love the Person of the LORD dearly, and not just the idea of Him, then that is a powerful repentance indeed. It is a repentance that can change us as individuals and change whole nations. Do we want to turn back to the LORD whom we have left behind, run to Him crying "Abba, Father!" and fall upon Him and kiss Him? Clap our hands and praise Him for the great things He has done - for when He kept loving us even when we forgot to love Him or when we forgot to trust in Him? What Father would not be pleased to receive this repentance joined with love? Trying to feed the LORD a repentance that does not come from the place in my heart of love and adoration for Him, but comes from a religious understanding or obligation, is like trying to feed the LORD a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly - He might find my repentance to look unappetizing, very dry and extremely difficult to swallow.

     In other reading portions from this Sabbath, the prophet Isaiah declared his feeling for God after receiving the salvation and deliverance Word of the LORD (see Isa. 61:1-7). The prophet then wrote: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations." (v. 10-11). Isaiah was overwhelmed with worship. When Jesus read the same words from Isaiah 61:1-2a in the synagogue on the Nitzavim Sabbath, and pronounced them fulfilled on that day, the listeners in the synagogue "...all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth." But then they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" (Lk. 4:16-22). They knew that they had just heard and been greatly affected by words of grace, but then turned away and discounted those words based upon what they thought they knew about Jesus.

     This also brings us to another reading portion from this Nitzavim, "are standing", Sabbath from Isaiah 63. Isaiah again exalts the LORD with words that flow from the LORD's habitation within the prophet's heart: "I will mention the lovingkindness of the LORD and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. For He said, 'Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.' So He became their Savior (yasa - save, savior, deliver, help, preserved, salvation, avenging, defend, rescue, safe, victory, save from moral troubles, be or live in abundance, ample, be spacious, liberty, to set free, conqueror). In all their affliction He was afflicted (see also Isa. 53:6-7, Rom. 4:24-25), and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. And they rebelled and grieved His Holy (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Spirit (see also Eph. 4:30); So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them." (Isa. 63:7-10).

      The LORD fought His own people on behalf of His Holy Spirit! Have we also underestimated the importance of the Holy Spirit to the Father in heaven? We have the Holy Spirit in a doctrinal box and do not understand His utmost importance within the children of God, in the redemption and judgment of the world, and the return of Messiah/Christ Jesus. Jesus said to His disciples that it was to their advantage if He goes to be with the Father so that He can send the Holy Spirit to them. It is also by the Holy Spirit that the ruler of this world is judged. (see Jn. 16:5-11, Rev. 22:17).

     The LORD poured out/shed everything from within Him in lovingkindness towards His people. (See also Mt. 26:26-29, Mk. 14:23-25). He even afflicted Himself when they were afflicted (see above). However, His people neglected and turned from Him. Even though He became angry with His people for their rejection of Him, the prophet Jeremiah, in another portion from this Nitzavim Sabbath, wrote that the LORD had not finished the selfless and loving shedding or pouring out of Himself on behalf of His people. The LORD promised that He would establish a new covenant with His people, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel: "I will write (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) My law in their minds/inward parts (qereb/qarab - inwards, midst, within, the seat of thought and emotion/draw near, come near, approach), and write it on their hearts (leb/labab - understanding, heart, wisdom/ravishment of my heart); and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...they all shall know Me...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (see Jer. 31:26-34). We need to draw near to the LORD from our most inward parts.

     As we can see, this "are standing" Sabbath has much more meaning than the standing position of our physical bodies. It has to do also with being firmly fixed and established with and in the LORD. The fall Feasts of the LORD are quickly approaching, and it is time to draw near to Him from the deepest parts of our beings. It is time for us, for me, to return to the cross and look upon the Savior who poured everything out so that I may be saved to the uttermost. Repentance should be more than a peanut butter sandwich. It is the tears and the gratitude, the love and the adoration, from that part of us that is not expressed by religious words but is beyond words.

     To learn more about standing before, with and in the LORD, you can join me in prayer: "Most gracious and loving Father, how can I begin to express the love and gratitude I feel for You, who gave everything to save me? How can I express the sorrow of my heart at the knowledge that I have said, thought, and done things that have brought You sorrow and disappointment? I draw near to You, as closely as I can get, and call upon Your lovingkindness to me that You continue to look upon me with Your eyes of mercy and forgiveness and teach me how to live a life that brings You joy and glory. Thank You for sending Your beloved Son to me. Thank You for the priceless gift of Your Holy Spirit, and increase my understanding and reverence for Both. Be blessed and exalted my Father and be glorified and enthroned by Your people. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

Returned&Restored

      This week's Sabbath reading portion has a double title, Nitzvarim - Va yelech. This Sabbath is the last Sabbath in the month of Elul, which is dedicated to the repentance of God's people and their return to the LORD. Within a few days following this Sabbath, the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah, will take place. This feast day is also known as Rosh Hashanah. 

     This week, we will be focusing on the Nitzvarim part of the title, which means, "are standing". This title comes from Deut. 29:10-13 which contains the words of Moses to the Israelites: "All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives - also the stranger who is in your camp...that you may enter into (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath (ala - covenant confirmed by an oath, blessing, curse), which the LORD your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

     Then the LORD makes the following statement: "I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today." (v. 14-15). There is a "today" that is connected with our covenant with God, and His with us. It was not just something entered into long ago, but it is present and now. However, the LORD makes clear that there are those who are not here today, but they will still be able to have their "today" of covenant with Him in the future. In another part of scripture the LORD says, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2, Isa. 49:8). Today, now, is the day in which the LORD has made a place for you to stand before Him and accept His salvation covenant.

This is a beautiful offer to those who will stand before the LORD "today" in covenant, from the youngest to the oldest, from the common citizen to the leaders, from the tribes by blood to the stranger or foreigner in the midst, from those present now to those who will be standing in the future.

     As we saw with the Hebrew meaning of the word, "oath" or ala used above, there is a curse that comes when this covenant is broken. There are several things mentioned in Deut. 29 involving the situations that bring the curse. One involves anyone "whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations" creating among His people "a root bearing bitterness or wormwood (la'anah - to curse, poisonous, accursed, bitter things, perverted justice, noxious)." (v. 18). We should understand that the worship of the false gods/idols of the world, both today and as it did then, involved horrible practices including human/child sacrifice, and the use of perversion and prostitution as worship. These practices caused whole nations to be shrouded alive in spiritual darkness: a living death. How much worse is it for someone who knows God to put the corrupted and corrupting things of the world before Him, thereby creating idols?

     Another situation that brings the curse in Deut. 29 is one who hears the words of the curse but ignores the curse, while blessing himself saying "I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart..." (v. 19). This person chooses to go their own way not believing the reality of the curse or that he will be affected by it. Perhaps this person thinks that the LORD will bless and protect him anyway. The LORD said that this person's name would be blotted out from under heaven (v. 20).

     This curse would affect the whole land (v. 23). When others would wonder why the LORD had done these things to the whole land, the answer would be given: "Because they have forsaken the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; for they went and served other gods and worshipped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them." (v. 25-26).

     With God dwell the blessings. Separated from God dwell the curses. It is like saying "In the Light, there is light. Separated from the Light, there is darkness", or "With the Giver of Life, there is life. Separated from the Giver of Life, there is death." For the world, including the people of God, that found themselves in darkness and the curse, God sent His Son, Jesus, Messiah/Christ, to become the curse of the Law for us so that we might walk in the eternal blessing of the salvation covenant with God (Gal. 3:10, 13-14).

     What we learn above is only to set the stage for the Sabbath lesson of this week found in Deut. Ch. 30. The LORD establishes a provision for His people to be able to return to Him when they find themselves separated and dispersed, both spiritually and physically: "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity (sebut/saba - captivity, captives, prisoners, exile/take captive, take or lead away), and have compassion (raham - to love deeply, have mercy, have compassion, to stroke with love, cherishing, soothing, to behold with tenderest affection) on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you." (Deut. 30:1-4, see also Heb. 7:25-26).

     The LORD promises to bring them back to their land and they will possess it, and: "He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live...The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand...the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments...and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (v. 5-10, excerpt).

     How hard does the LORD of All make it for His people to be return to Him? He makes it as easy as turning to Him in complete love, a love which causes His people to obey His voice and Word. Moses said that this was not too difficult, or a thing too distant for them to do: "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. See, I have set before you today (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) life and good, death and evil...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling (dabaq - follow hard after, cleave to, abide, joined to, pursue closely, cling, adhere firmly, be glued) to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land..." (Deut. 30:11-20, excerpt).

     In another reading portion from this Nitzavim Sabbath, the LORD expresses His desire to the prophet, Jeremiah, for His people to return to Him: "...I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD...Turn back, O virgin of Israel...How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter?...I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul...Behold, the days are coming, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...I will put My (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (see Jer. 31: 20-34, excerpts). We can see the heartfelt desire of the LORD for His people to return to Him. Jesus had the same desire as He sent the message of repentance and return to His church in the Book of Revelation: "Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:19-20). The church had become so indifferent to their Savior that He had to stand outside the church and knock (krouo - to knock [with a heavy blow]) to be let in! As did His heavenly Father with Israel, Jesus offered other powerful rewards also if the church would return to Him (v. 21-22). To another church Jesus said, "...you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works..." (Rev. 2:4-5). If this church repents, Jesus promises them to eat from the tree of life in Paradise. The first works were driven by the church's love for their Savior. They must return to that love and its fruitful works.

     In another reading portion from this Sabbath, we see a people who have returned to the LORD. This is their voice: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels." (Isa. 61:10).

     This is the LORD's response to their joyful return: "For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation (yesua - salvation, deliverance, rescue, also the Hebrew name of Jesus) as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name (see also Rev. 3:12-13, Rev. 2:17), which the mouth of the LORD will name. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God...and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you...Indeed the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the world: 'Say to the daughter of Zion, surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work (pe'ulla - deeds, good action, a people won back by warfare) before Him." (Isa. 62:1-11, excerpt).

     The second state of the returned people above becomes even more blessed and exalted than their first state. This is the way of the LORD who is forever eager to pour out His mercy upon His people who will return to Him. It is especially at this time of the year that we need to repent, renew our love for the Lord, and return to Him. We should not wait until He is pounding on the door of our hearts asking for entry. Jesus warned that in these days before His return many will fall away and the love of many will wax cold (Mt. 24:10-13, 2 Thess. 2:3). It is time to return to our Lord. Call upon the Lord while He is near.

If you would like to take this opportunity today to return to the LORD whose hands are stretched out to us and waiting (see Isa. 65:1-2), you can join me in my prayer: "My Father, You have shown me mercy in my life. You have saved me through Your beloved Son, Jesus. Today, Lord, I want to repent for going my own way and I want to return to You, my Creator. I want to renew my love for You, to cling to You and follow after You. Jesus, You have made the Way possible for me to return to my Father and be reconciled with Him. Fill me with the Spirit of God who leads me and teaches me in His ways of everlasting life. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

Words&Vision

This Sabbath comes at a very special time of remembrance for God's people called Tisha B'av, or the 9th of the month of Av. The 9th of Av signifies the destruction of the two temples of God in the history of Israel. The first destruction came on that date in 586 BC at the hands of the Babyonians, and the second temple of God was destroyed in 70 AD on the 9th of Av also by the Romans. Other catastrophes for the Jewish people also happened on this date, so the time is marked by repentance, fasting, and another element, which we will discuss. The title of this Sabbath's reading is D'varim/Chazon: the Words and the Vision. D'varim, or the Words, comes from the singular dabar, which has a two-fold meaning. On the one hand, dabar means "to speak, declare, command, promise, warn, sing, appoint, bring into order, to lead or guide especially of flocks or herds to pasture, to speak to a woman in order to propose marriage, to speak kindly, to console". The other side of the meaning of dabar, or word, is to destroy, to threaten, to pronounce a sentence of penalty, put to flight, subdue, to lay snares, to plot against. God's people should seek never to find themselves on the wrong side of dabar, His Word. that side is meant for the enemies of God. We see how the dabar Word of God works in Heb. 4:12. It is described as sharper (tomos - to decisively cut) than a two-edged sword. It is piercing, and within its active power is the ability to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. How that sword of the dabar Word cuts depends upon what it discerns in the heart. Our Sabbath reading portion is from Deuteronomy Chapters 1 through 3. The reading begins: "These are the words (d'varim) which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan....in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month...according to all that the LORD had given him as commandments to them..." (Deut. 1:1-3). These words which Moses is about to speak to the Israelites come at a very important time. The words come nearly at the end of the forty years of wandering commanded by God because of Israel's rebellion. The journey to the Land should normally have taken eleven days (v. 2)! The number eleven, repeatedly used in these verses, can refer to, according to the Hebrew meaning, a choice or discernment between rebellion and submission. "Choice" will play a major role in this reading, as we will see. The Israelites had also just accomplished a military victory over two enemy kings: Sihon, king of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei (v. 4). Moses later told Joshua, who would become the next leader of the Israelites, to remember the victories over these kings: "Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. You must not fear them, for the LORD your God himself fights for you." (Deut. 3:21-22). Later, when Joshua became the leader, the LORD would repeatedly tell him not to be afraid. What did these enemy kings represent that Moses would command Israel to remember their defeat? These two kings represent the same rebellious kingdoms that we see in the world today. The meanings of the Hebrew words used to describe the kings and their territories of rulership in Deut. 1:4 describe Sihon as "a warrior, a "sayer", who sweeps away or wipes away by using words (amar- speak, utter, promise, command, to intend, to boast, to act proudly, challenge). Instead of the Word (dabar) of God, this king uses words (amar) from the Heshbon stronghold of reason, understanding, thinking, and calculation to make judgments and to "forecast". He uses the words of men from their own understanding, while rejecting the anointed and true Word of God. We see that today when people prefer to believe any amar words, knowledge and understanding of men over the dabar Word of God. It is a powerful stronghold, but the Word of God has already spoken and defeated it. The second king, Og, is a giant, and his dwelling was connected to a goddess of fertility (Ashtaroth). This king, Og, reached out his arm and grasped the richest pastures for himself, according to the Hebrew meanings, as well as all that yields seed, and breeds to bring increase. This king represents an economic giant with a monopoly grasp on the wealth, and the sources or producers of wealth. The fertility goddess, Ashtaroth, according to the fertility cults of Canaan, was considered both the mother and mistress of the god, Ba'al, who is usually represented by the image of a bull. It was believed by their worshippers that the sexual union of Ba'al and Ashtaroth produced fertility, including economic fertility, for the accumulation of wealth. Worshippers of these false gods or idols would engage in perverse sexual practices believing that this would cause these two gods to also join together sexually. This became a type of religious prostitution in various Canaanite tribes and in even more distant cultures. The worship of the accumulation of wealth and immoral sexual activity still go hand in hand today. The accumulation and concentration of wealth has grown to the extent that there are well over two thousand billionaires in the world today, according to Forbes. Just recently, at the end of July, the Commonwealth Games* were opened in Britain with a display of the worship of a huge mechanical bull with a woman sitting on top of it. This is like a modern representation of the Canaanite god, Ba'al. These Games represented the British Commonwealth, an economic and trade confederation of about 15 nations of former British colonies, encompassing 2.5 billion people. This confederation of nations generates great wealth. It is distressing but not surprising that the Games chose to act out the worship of a large bull in their opening ceremonies. The spiritual powers that were represented by these two kings in Deuteronomy Ch. 1-3, Sihon and Og, are still present today, but God has physically and prophetically defeated these strongholds through Moses and the Israelites, and God promises to bring them to final judgment, along with those who partake of them: "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her (the Whore of Babylon, who sits upon the Beast) will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning...For in one hour your judgment has come. And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore." (Rev. 18:9-11). As Moses told Joshua, remember the defeat of these two kings when you enter the Land, and do not fear them. Joshua would much later still be challenging Israel in the Promised Land to choose that day whom they would serve: the gods from the other side of the River, the gods of Egypt, or the gods of the Amorites - "But for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Josh. 24:14-15). Again that choice is before all of us. God's d'varim Words have shown us Who is truly the LORD, and there are no other gods before Him (Ex. 20:2-5, Deut. 5:6-9). The other title of this week's Sabbath reading, because it comes at the heavy time of the 9th of Av, is Chazon, or "Vision". This additional reading is found in Isaiah Ch. 1. The vision, or chazon, of Isaiah concerning God's people extended throughout the years of rulership of four kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isa. 1:1). It is an interesting side note that Hezekiah tried to impress a Babylonian envoy by opening his treasuries and showing off all of his wealth. Although this took place many centuries after the words of Moses in Deuteronomy, the Babylonians worshipped the same gods of fertility and wealth that we read about above, Ba'al and Ashtaroth, and engaged in the same type of immoral acts in order to join those gods together. God prophesied to Hezekiah by Isaiah that because of his foolishness, the people of Judah would be carried away into captivity by Babylon (2 Kings 20:12-18). Concerning the enduring Chazon Vision that Isaiah received from the LORD concerning His people Judah and Jerusalem, it was a prophetic vision that was to be declared far more widely - to the heavens and the earth (v. 2). So it is a vision that will affect not just the people of Judah, but the heavens and earth as well. The meaning of chozan, or vision, is not only a revelation and divine communication, but at its root it means to see God and His divine presence, and to choose for one's self. As Joshua said to the people of Israel above, "Choose for yourself whom you shall serve." In Isaiah's vision, God calls His people "a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters (sahat - to destroy, corrupt, ruin, to pervert, decay, marred, rotted, injured)!" (v. 4). As God looked at His rebellious people spiritually, their corruption appeared to Him as wounds and bruises, and putrefying sores that had not been closed, bound up or treated with ointment (v. 5-6). The LORD caused Isaiah to see their land as desolate and burned, overthrown by strangers (v. 7). This is the spiritual condition for which the Jewish people repent and solemnly pray about on Tisha B'Av, the 9th of Av, which saw the destruction of the two temples of God. However, there is also a hope and prayer for redemption on Tisha B'Av, the 9th of Av. Isaiah wrote of this redemption that was available if God's people would turn, and worship Him truly, and serve each other, in Godly character and holiness (v. 16-17). If His people will come and speak with Him, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (v. 18). (See also a previous Blog entry titled "theWorm" found under the right hand Archive column under April 15, 2022.). If His people are willing and obedient, God showed Isaiah: "Zion shall be redeemed with justice; and her penitents with righteousness." (v. 27). Both of these verses give promises of our Redeemer, Jesus, and Isaiah was given several other powerful prophetic revelations of the Messiah, as well as His suffering and atonement made for our sins. The LORD uses the term "Zion" here, which has a powerful meaning in regard to His penitent people. It means "sunny mountain, to shine, to be bright, a waymark, sign, monument, signpost, guiding pillar". Those who become Zion are waymarkers and guiding pillars pointing to the way to the Redeemer for others to choose also. We can see that Isaiah's chazon vision did indeed affect the heavens and the whole earth. This Sabbath, we have been given the D'Varim, the Words, and the Chazon, the Vision, and the choice is laid out before us also. If you would like to learn more about the choice before us, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, You are my Redeemer, and I choose to serve You, and our heavenly Father. You died for me, and You rose from the dead, so that I can have eternal life with You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, Who leads me to redemption, and teaches me Your Words and Vision. I desire to be Zion, a shining signpost, a guiding pillar, for those who are also looking for and choosing the way of the LORD. I ask this in Your holy name. AMEN." *Thanks to JP for contributing the information on the Commonwealth Games' opening ceremony.

Return

This Sabbath is a special Sabbath called Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Return. It comes within the ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These ten days between the feasts, and this Sabbath Shuvah are a time for repentance, prayer, and turning back to the LORD. This Sabbath's reading portion from Deuteronomy 31 is titled Va-yelech, or "Then he went" (see last week's post also). In Deut. 31, Moses is told by the LORD that these are the last days of his life, and that he should bring Joshua before the LORD so He can inaugurate (sava - "command, appoint, commission, ordain, cause to exist") him as the next leader of Israel (Deut. 31:14). We see from this that we cannot appoint ourselves, but we must be appointed by God. As we consider the closing days of Moses' life mentioned in Deut. 31, we can imagine that the thought of losing Moses must have been very traumatic for Israel. He had been their prophet and leader across two generations, through dangerous testing times, and used in miraculous wonders of deliverance and provision performed by God. People pass away, even important people. Places and things pass away, but God does not pass away. Moses told the Israelites: "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them (the various enemy tribes already in the land; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deut. 31:6). Jesus promised His believers the same thing (Mt. 28:20). The LORD also told Moses at this time, that after his death, Israel would not remain faithful to Him, and would become idolators. They would break the covenant that they had with God. Because of this, the LORD said that evil would befall them in the latter days (v. 16-18, 29). Moses must have been very saddened to hear this prophecy regarding the people to whom he had dedicated himself for all of those years. However, with this prophecy in mind, Moses left God's people a song of repentance and return to God which he taught to all of Israel (see Deut. 32). In something else to consider, this Sabbath also falls on 9/11, one of the most tragic days of loss in American history. This loss not only affected a nation, but it affected the whole world, as America sought justice, or perhaps revenge, for the murderous act. In facing the loss suffered on this date, the most fruitful and important action for Americans to have taken was not measured in military might, but in repentance in the hearts of those who know God. Our strength is not measured in military power, nor the height of our great buildings and the wealth and success that they represent. Our strength, as the people who are called by God's name, is in our covenant with Him. Have we been looking at the wrong things for our security and success? Have we been relying on people and things that cannot save us? It seems that we have been going down the wrong path for many years, but it is not too late for God's people to turn back to Him. This Sabbath reading is about the things that pass away, and the things that don't. It is about returning to the LORD, and finding that He has been waiting for us all along. He was not far away from us, but we have travelled far from Him. Much of our everyday lives have been built like a shaky house on shifting sands, relying upon things that cannot endure (Mt. 7:24-27). We have seen buildings that were embedded into solid bedrock and constructed with steel, brought down in minutes. How much more shakable are lives and plans built upon far less? There is only one house that stands forever, indestructible, and that is the House of the LORD with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone, into which we, as living stones, are to be built. In the haftarah reading portion of this Shabbat Shuvah, the prophet Hosea wrote in Chapter 14:1-3, "O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity...Assyria shall not save us (referring to political and military alliances), we will not ride on horses (military might), nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, "You are our gods" (idols created by relying upon our own efforts). As Hosea continues, the LORD answers this cry from the heart of His people, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely,...I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like a lily...his branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon." (v. 4-6). Not only will the LORD turn and restore His people again because of their repentance, but they will become a fruitful and desired people. We need to be a fruitful people, especially now. The LORD said in Hosea that the fruitfulness that we need is found in our return to Him. In another haftarah reading for this Shabbat Shuva, the prophet Micah also brings us the message of returning to the LORD: "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over (abar - "march over, pass beyond, go in advance of, to cover in intimacy") the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?...He delights in mercy...and will subdue (kabas - "bring into bondage, dominate, tread down, conquer") our iniquities. You will cast (salak - "hurl, throw down") all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19). While we often look for the world to repent, the privilege of returning to the LORD is reserved for His people, His remnant, according to Micah. He even "subdues", a forceful verb, our iniquities, hurling them down, dominating those things that enslave us, and bringing them into bondage instead. The Father has given this dominion to Christ for our benefit. It is believed that Ephesians 4:7-8 brings us an image of Christ descending into the earth upon His death in order to conquer the power of sin and death, and bringing up with Him those who died with hope in His appearing. These verses can also be looked at in an additional way, mirroring the prophecy of Micah, based upon the meaning of the Greek words used. The verses are written: "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: When He ascended on high He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." The Greek meaning of the main words used in these verses from Ephesians 4 could also tell us that Christ forcefully made captive, or took as a prisoner of war to Himself, what had caused others to be captives. His doing so was a gift or advantage supplied to man. He "subdued" our iniquities in other words, as Micah had prophesied. We do not have to let iniquity, and a life away from the eternal things of God, take us captive again. This Sabbath, and the somber memorial occasion of 9/11 reminds us that life on earth, even the life of a man of God like Moses, is temporary. Buildings, places, possessions and institutions are temporary. Wealth and power are temporary. The LORD is calling His remnant to return to the eternal - to Himself. If you would like to return to the LORD, you can pray: "Father of Forgiveness and Mercy, I turn away from the love and reliance upon those things which cannot save or last, and I return to You with all my heart, soul, and strength. Your Son, Jesus, died and rose from the dead to destroy, and set me free from, the power of sin and death in my life, and I thank You for this gift that Jesus has supplied for me. As I ask You to forgive my sin, hurl it far from me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, so that I can bear abundant fruit and renewing dew, that I may display the glory of God to all. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

TheVision

The Jewish people observe a special date, Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, which falls this year on this Sabbath. The 9th of Av (Av is the fifth month on the Hebrew calendar) is the date of certain earthshaking events in history that befell the Jewish people, which they believe came about because of their sin. They observe this saddest day on the Hebrew calendar with repentance, fasting, and prayer. Some of the events in history associated with this date of Tisha B'Av include: the discouraging report of ten out of the twelve spies who were sent to scout the Promised Land, which caused the Israelites to refuse to go into the land which the LORD had promised them because of fear; the destruction of the first temple, Solomon's temple, by King Nebuchadnezzar of Assyria in 587 BC, after which the kingdom of Judah was sent into exile to Babylon; the destruction of the second temple, which was built under Ezra's leadership, by the Romans in 70 A.D., after which many Jews were dispersed out of the land of Israel, and into the nations; in 135 A.D., a subsequent rebellion on Tisha B'Av in which 500,000 Israelites were killed, was crushed by the Romans, and the ruins of the previously destroyed temple that were left on the temple mount site were buried. On this same date, the 9th of Av, during the first Crusade, 10,000 Jews were killed in 1096. Also on Tisha B'Av, the Jews were expelled from England in 1290 A.D., from France in 1306, and from Spain in 1492. The Jews were deported by the Nazis from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland to the Treblinka Concentration/Extermination Camp on Tisha B'Av in 1942. The title given to this special Sabbath's readings is "HaD'varim-Chazon", which means "the words - the vision". The reference to the "words" in the title is because this Sabbath marks the beginning of the reading of the Book of Deuteronomy (chapters 1-3), which is the fifth book of the Torah. "The vision" mentioned in this special Sabbath's title refers to the vision that God gives to the Jews on this saddest day of Tisha B'Av: it is a hopeful vision of the third temple, prophesied by Ezekiel, which the Jewish people associate with the coming Messiah's Kingdom. In the last post, we learned that followng Tisha B'Av, on the fifteenth of Av, the most joyous day on the Hebrew calendar, marriage to one's destined soul mate is celebrated. Considering these things about the vision of the third temple received by the Jews on Tisha B'Av, and the soon-coming marriage celebration of the fifteenth of Av, I think of the assembly of the believers in Messiah/Christ, Jews and Gentiles together, which is the Church. Of these believers in Christ, Paul, an apostle who ministered to both the Jews and the Gentiles, wrote: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are...And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." (1 Cor. 3:16, 17, 23). He also wrote: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Paul described the temple of God this way: "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made of hands." (Acts 17:24, see also Acts 7:47-48). Peter also wrote of this temple associated with our Messiah: "...laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up to a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:1-5). Paul and Peter are describing a spiritual temple, built of believers in Messiah/Christ, which is being built upon the first Living Stone, Jesus. I am not suggesting that this spiritual temple referred to by Paul and Peter replaces the prophesied physical third temple that is to be built. I am suggesting that the vision of the third temple given to Jews on Tisha B'Av, while it may be about a physical third temple, because it is associated with the Messiah, it is also about a special temple in the Spirit. This spiritual temple is one in which we are called to be a part. It is helpful to look at the meaning of the number three, or third, the Hebrew word shelosh. That meaning includes the thoughts of "seeds, fruit, revelation, resurrection, new life, words of life, the giving of the Torah and the Spirit, the foundation of the Temple/House, the first and strongest geometric shape (triangle), harmony and unity, chain of continuity, the third day". The number three is also represented by the Hebrew letter gimel, which pictographically means: "something lifted up like a camel rising from its knees, to ripen, reward, nourish, mature, recompense, benefit, to gather, to carry". This is also what we know about the temple of the Messiah from Jesus: "...Jesus... said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body." (Jn. 2:19-21). Again, to me, all of these things point me toward a rich spiritual meaning, along with the natural meaning, of the vision of the third temple given by God to Jews on Tisha B'Av. Believers in Messiah, both Jews and Gentiles, should understand the impact of sin upon this holy spiritual temple, as sin also had impact on the physical houses or temples of God. Tisha B'Av reminds us that two temples, which the Jewish people thought could never be destroyed, did see destruction. They thought Jerusalem would be safe because of the presence of those temples of God, but Jerusalem was not safe from attack. Jesus was and is zealous for the house of God, from which He chased, with whips made of cords, those who practiced usury and thievery as recorded in all four Gospels (Mt. 21:12-14, Mk. 11:15-18, Lk. 19:45-47, Jn. 2:14-16). Jesus was not just zealous for a physical temple made of stones. He is zealous also for the living temple of God, those who believe in Him. God is zealous for His house, which contains the pattern of the salvation provided by His Son, and He will not tolerate it to be defiled by sin. Peter wrote to "lay aside" those things that defile the spiritual temple which God is building through His Son (see verses above). Paul wrote his comments about the spiritual temple of God, which we read above, by beginning with the comment, "for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Cor. 3:3), and "...you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?..." (1 Cor. 6:8-9). The special scripture reading for HaD'varim-Chazon of this Sabbath comes from Isaiah 1. The LORD prophesies to the heavens and the earth about His people who have become a sinful nation, laden ("kabed"- heavy, hard, massive, burdensome, very oppressive, grievous) with iniquity, a brood of evil doers and corrupters; (spiritually) sick from head to foot with wounds, bruises and putrefying sores. Even though they make many prayers...their hands are full of blood (Isa. 1:1-15). These are the words (D'varim) from Isaiah 1, and this is the vision (Chazon): "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (v. 16-18). The Jews mourn and repent over the losses of Tisha B'Av. Shouldn't we, the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit, also remember Tisha B'Av with repentance, and receive the renewing vision of the Messiah's Temple in us? These are "the words and the vision" of Tisha B'Av. If you would like to be part of the spiritual temple that the Father is building, you can pray: "Heavenly Father, I believe that You are building a temple not made by human hands, but a living temple made from living stones. The foundation of this temple is the sacrifice and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus, the Messiah, Who died for me, and the living stones are those who believe in Him, and are filled with Your Holy Spirit. Forgive me of my sin, cleanse me, and fill me with Your Spirit, and the vision of Tisha B'Av, which is the temple of Messiah's kingdom. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen."

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."

Mercy (Pt 3 of 3)

This is Pt. 3 in a series covering these three fall feasts of the LORD commanded in scripture: the Feast of Trumpets (see the previous post, "NewMoon"), the Days of Awe/Repentance (see the previous post, "AWE"), and today's post, "Mercy" which is about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These posts cannot cover all that can be said about these feasts, and their importance not only to the Jewish people, but also to all who know Jesus as Messiah and Lord. I wanted to look into them to discover how these feasts that have been ordained by God to all generations must also contain a great impact on my spiritual walk. God has a purpose for us in these feasts, as well as the revelation of Jesus within them. 
Let's do a brief review of the previous two posts, and then begin our look into Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
We found that as well as the significance of the shofar or trumpet, the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, is directly tied to the new moon (root word "chadash") of the month of Tishrei (meaning "beginning"). This feast marks the beginning of a process. The chadash meaning of the Feast of Trumpets involves renewal, restoration, rebuilding, as well as the polishing and cutting of a sword. The rapture of the church is the most dramatic "renewal" of all, and it is associated with the sounding of the trumpets on this feast day.
We begin that personal renewal, and the even wider process of renewal of creation, during the self-examination and repentance associated with the Days of Awe, the days between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur. Repentance is the means, but the end result the Lord is looking for in us is change. Jesus addressed His churches and sought this serious change in them in the Book of Revelation. Failure of the church to address and change our serious shortcomings would result in great loss, according to these scriptures (see chapters 2 and 3). Heeding the Holy Spirit, and seeking the changes that the Lord required of His churches would result in rewards.
According to the rabbis, on  the Feast of Trumpets, our names are written or inscribed into books based upon the Lord's examination and determination regarding us. On Yom Kippur, the names in those books are sealed, or finalized. We have the days in between to search ourselves and determine to change those things that would have us inscribed and sealed into judgment books, "to avert the severe decree", as it is taught by the rabbis. As we saw in the previous post, "AWE", for those not found inscribed in the (Lamb's) Book of Life, the ramifications can be very serious. even deadly. This judgment of Yom Kippur is not the judgment of the dead, but the judgment of the living.
While on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, our names are sealed in those books, Lev. 16 also shows us the pattern for the provision of the atonement and mercy of God, which are also imbedded in this feast day. As we saw in the previous entry, scripture says that mercy and judgment always dwell together in God. The Day of Atonement is a solemn feast day (Lev. 23:26-32). The LORD commands that we fast, pray, and afflict ourselves. We are not to be busy with "life as usual" on this day. The pattern of heavenly intercession for the sins of the people is revealed in this feast day as given to Moses from God (see Lev. 16). The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of sacrifice, and sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat. This atoning blood was for himself and his family, the tabernacle, and all of the people.
In the prophetic fulfillment of this most holy purpose of the Day of Atonement, God has not relied upon man, but has appointed His only Son to be not only the blood of sacrifice (Heb. 9:13-14), but also the High Priest who applies the sacrificial blood (Heb. 6:20, Heb. 7:24-26), and the Mercy Seat (meaning of "propitiation" used in Rom. 3:25, 1 Jn. 2:2) itself upon which that holy blood is sprinkled. That Mercy Seat is the throne of the presence of the glory of the LORD. Jesus is the Person, the Place, and the Means, the All in All, of the mercy provision of God. Leviticus 16:17 tells us that while the High Priest is fulfilling his duty on this day, no man may be present in any part of the earthly tabernacle. Now, instead of men, who have weaknesses, to intercede as High Priest, using the blood of animals, God has appointed His Son, who has been perfected forever, to be our High Priest as on the Day of Atonement (Heb. 7:28). The purpose of the approach to the Mercy Seat is to seek mercy in the face of the judgment of the living sealed in the books, and to bring reconciliation of man with God.
The Book of Hebrews tells us that we too can now approach that Mercy Seat, having been cleansed ourselves through Christ (Heb. 10:19-23). We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together for this purpose, especially as we see this Day approaching, as some forsake it (Heb. 10:24-25). Here again, scripture tells us that the significance of these feast days are for the church, as well as for the Jewish people. Although it is the current custom of the church to ignore the true observance of these feast days, and the repentance and change that is required within them, we are warned in scripture not to overlook the significance in our walk:
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?..."The LORD will judge His people"...It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."   Heb. 10:26-31 (see also Deut. 32:35-36)
The verses above were all written in the context of the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement by our High Priest, Jesus Christ. The whole Book of Hebrews teaches the church about this feast, and how it applies to the believers in Christ. The provision of this mercy, and its sanctification is forever. However, that doesn't mean we can take it for granted that the judgment of the living does not also apply to us as believers in Christ. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, Who examines us, expects us to understand and observe the provision of mercy (and completed renewal) that pushes back the judgment deserved, and has been so lovingly and powerfully provided for us in this feast day. Are we diligent at the Mercy Seat of God on behalf of ourselves and all people? The mercy of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is precious to our walk with Christ. That mercy cost our Father, and His dear Son everything.

Our Father has sent His mercy, His Son, to provide the atonement for us.