Rendered Innocent

It occurred to me today, that the misleading notion that Yeshua did away with the law, by fulfilling it, can only occur if we believe the Pharisaical understanding of justification. The Pharisees taught that the only way to be justified (rendered innocent) is by keeping the Law. Law defined as the written word (scripture) and the oral laws (their traditions). If the Pharisaical understanding of justification meant that we had to keep the Law in order to be justified (rendered innocent) then, yes, it makes sense that Yeshua would come do away with that.

The problem is that the Pharisaical understanding of justification (being rendered innocent) is not what the scriptures teach. It's what the Pharisee's taught. It was their added teachings that Yeshua came against to correct in all of his dealings with the Pharisee's and other religious leaders at that time. He came against THEIR traditions added to the Law and Prophets, which was what YHVH had warned them not to do. (Deuteronomy 12:32) "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it."

The only way to be rendered innocent is by faith in Yeshua Messiah. It's how Abraham was justified. It's how Isaac was justified. It's how Moses was justified. Their faith in the salvation of YHVH (Yeshua) was accounted to them as righteousness. It was not their status as a Jew/Hebrew.

Yeshua said in Matthew 5: 17-19, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophet; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches other to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

If you believe that the Pharisees are right, in that justification (being rendered innocent) only happened by their definition, then getting rid of the law seems like a logical solution and puts Yeshua back in his rightful place. If you don't agree with the Pharisees and look beyond their false teaching you can see that the Law never could render you innocent, BUT it also means according to Yeshua's own words, that the law then is still relevant. If it never was put in place as a means for justification (being rendered innocent), then it doesn't need to be gone. In fact Yeshua says that until heaven and earth pass away (they are still here in case you weren't sure) not one jot or tittle will pass from the Law until ALL is accomplished. Even still, Yeshua goes on to say that who ever doesn't do them and teaches others to "relax" them, will be called least in HIS kingdom.

It's not, either or (grace or law); its both and (grace and law).

I am rendered innocent by faith in Yeshua and show that I love him by calling on his grace as I follow His commandments, including the jot's and tittle's.

We all, Jew and Gentile, have access to the Father through Yeshua, and blessed be that gift.

My Saviour, how I love thee!

Our Showbread

I love learning more about Yeshua in the scriptures, especially when He said that He filled it full of meaning about Him. "Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17-19.

I read yesterday about the Show Bread in Exodus 25. These are the 12 pieces of bread, one for each tribe, called "the Bread of the Presence" that were kept on a special table facing the Golden Lampstand. I learned from Rimona Frank at Hebrew Insights that the literal translation of the Bread of the Presence would be the bread of the "face". As well, she points out that the same root word that is in an earlier chapter of Exodus, is also face (Chapter 23: 15-17). In verse 15, we are commanded "not to appear before me (YHVH) empty-handed". The word "me" is MY FACE. Verse 15 could be literally translated as "not to appear before MY FACE empty-handed". These feasts, where the people are not to appear empty-handed, are all related to some sort of food; the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the feast of Harvest (First Fruits) and also the fall Feast of Ingathering.

(Hopefully, I'm going to try to connect the dots here, so that I can share what I learned)

In our study yesterday we talked about the images of bread in the scriptures, especially pertaining to Yeshua. He called himself the Bread of Life.

Yeshua is the bread of life. It is by His presence in our lives that we are able to appear before the Father. It is by His presence in our lives, that we are able to appear before the Father's face. We don't come empty-handed because we have in our possession the bread of the Presence, the bread of the FACE, who is Yeshua. Every tribe (a complete number) has a piece so that when they are required to come before Him they have a piece of this bread.

YHVH supplied our bread for us, so that when we appear before Him we are not empty-handed as He commanded us. We can stand before the HOLY of HOLY's with our BREAD of LIFE (YESHUA). Because of this bread I/WE can come before His FACE.

Isn't this amazing. I love my Father who instructs me...who keeps His word...who has given me bread to eat and I hunger no more. I have eaten the BREAD of THE FACE. Who is in me? The SHOW BREAD.

Sabbath is Sweet!

I am blessed to have my sister join our family on this sometimes lonely walk. We have been the only ones in my immediate family for about 9 years now, until this past year. My sister and her husband have joined with our family to spend the evening welcoming Shabbat together. It was wonderful last evening to share in this appointed feast with family. It is an appointed feast of YHVH's. It is wonderful to start this feast with family and great food. Thank you Father for this blessing. I am very thankful for this gift of fellowship with my sister. You are a great King!