New Moon Meeting: November 2006, 3:40 EST
The Lexicon of A Pure Faith – Part 1

 

Zahakiel: We’ll ask Luke to offer a prayer, and then begin.

 

Qinael: Our most holy and perfect Father, we thank you for the New Moon, a day of self-examination and soul-searching in preparation for the perfect order and efficiency of Heaven.

 

We thank you for the trials of this life, that through them we may be given an opportunity to grow in grace and in knowledge.

 

We ask Father that you send your presence upon this meeting, and may all listen with attentive ears, ever remembering that we are to march in perfect step and harmony with the third Angel and it’s work.

 

In the name of Yahshua we pray, amen.

 

Zahakiel: Amen.

Barb: Amen.

Rita: Amen.

Pastor “Chick”: Amen.

Naraiel: Amen.

Guerline: Amen.

Kevin: Amen.

Happy Rock: Amen.

 

Zahakiel: This month’s topic is called “The Lexicon of A Pure Faith, Part 1.”  A “lexicon” is something like a dictionary, but does not go into as much detail as the definitions; it is essentially a word-list of terms.  These are often useful tools for translators, because they show how particular words in a foreign language are used in specific settings.

 

A number of things prompted this topic, for example the discussion of the word “jealousy” at our recent Feast of Tabernacles: the idea that a word generally meaning something negative can be applied to Yahweh.  Also, as I have continued to work on the Baptismal Guidebook The Highway of Holiness, I have found it necessary to include a number of lexicon notes to promote a full understanding of Biblical doctrines.  In addition, someone asked me a question a couple weeks ago about the way the word “Remember” is used in the Bible, and we’ll get to that as we go through this study.

 

What I am presenting for our consideration and education this month is a list of words that appear in the Bible.  These words were chosen because they are often misunderstood by even sincere students of the Scriptures, and this has led to some unfortunate misunderstandings of doctrine, some errors in the development of character, and the rejection of much light.

 

Zahakiel: I would like to make it clear that this is no fault of the Scriptures, and no fault of even the translators (for the most part) who were writing to an audience that would have understood the terms used in a manner often different than we now do.  In other words, language does change over time; the meanings of words do change over the years, and if we wish to have a pure speech in this last generation, we must understand the “mind of Christ” as it is expressed in the Bible record.

 

I had originally intended to present this list in one study, but I realized, when I got to page 10 and was just on the letter “J,” that it would need to be broken into two.  So what appears here is the first section, A – J.

 

Now, the Word tells us that when the Almighty assembles His people and gathers the faithful nations, “then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Yahweh, to serve Him with one consent.” (Zeph 3:9)  This brief statement contains a number of important concepts.

 

Zahakiel: First, we see that we are to have a “pure language,” and the word for pure there has the connotations of: select, polished, chosen, purged, cleansed or made bright, tested or proven.  Second, we see that the result of such a manner of speech will lead men to “call upon the name of Yahweh” in a proper way, to praise Him and to seek His will.  Third, we see another effect, that those with such a language “serve Him with one consent.”  Now literally, and this is interesting, the word for “consent” there means “shoulder.”  The people of Yahweh with a pure language serve the Almighty with one “shoulder.”

 

Who can tell me what kind of picture this raises in your mind?

 

Naraiel: In agreement

 

Crystle: All leaning on one another.

 

Pastor “Chick”: One “body” of course.

 

Guerline: Togetherness.

 

Barb: Bearing burdens together.

 

Zahakiel: As some have suggested, it is a leaning in together against something... not so much on each other, but against a common burden.

 

Rita: Excellent, I agree.

 

Zahakiel: Like if you want to move a boulder, a big rock, you put your “shoulder” to it.  And all the people here described are as one “shoulder.”

 

Actually, in the Bible, the word “shoulder” has two uses.  It means to work with a burden, to carry something, (Psa 81:6, Isa 9:4) and it is also a measure of height.  Today we would say that someone is six feet tall; in the days of the Kingdom of Israel, to indicate that someone was very tall they would say things like, “from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” (1Sam 9:2)

 

So the people of Yahweh in the last days have a refined speech, and as a result they call on the name of their Father in Heaven in a holy manner, and they serve Him with one “shoulder,” with a unified effort to take “the burden of the word of Yahweh” (Mal 1:1) – another word for the Divine message – to the world.  It is a measure of their stature.

 

Here is the list of words, with associated meanings by use, and a short explanation of why a proper understanding is important; and please keep in mind that this is not a complete list.  If a word occurs to you that you believe is often misunderstood, and not covered, make a note of it.  If I get to the end of the list (J) and you then find I have not addressed a term you believe is important that should appear before it, or a synonym thereof, bring it up at the end when I ask for questions, and we can go over it, and I will insert it into its proper place in the resulting transcripts.  Also, if you would like a particular word to be addressed in the K – Z section next month let me know, or email me during the course of the coming period between studies.

 

Any questions on the topic?

 

Qinael: I have none.

Barb: No.

Rita: None.

Guerline: None.

Naraiel: No.

Happy Rock: No.

 

Zahakiel: All right, then:

 

Ability: The Bible records a parable of Christ in which it was said, “And unto one [servant] he [the master] gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.” (Mat 25:15)

 

A person’s “ability” is what he is able to do, what he can do.  What we need here is to understand how this word is used in its immediate context, because some confusion may result if various verses are not harmonized.  For example, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” (Phil 4:13)  and, “Yahshua said unto him, ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’” (Mark 9:33)

 

And then there are verses that read, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Cor 10:13)

 

And again, “And over it the Cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.” (Heb 9:5)

 

And famously (for our ministry), “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for His Seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1John 3:9)

 

Zahakiel: The first verse from Matthew, and various others like it, tell us that Yahweh will give men gifts according to their “ability.”  But then there are verses that tell us we can do “all things” through Christ as we believe.  And then we followed that up with several statements that would indicate there are limits to what we are able to bear, what we are able to understand, and what we are able to do.

 

In a more general sense, we read that there are things even Yahweh “cannot” do.  He “cannot” be tempted by evil, or even behold it without covering Himself, (James 1:13, Hab 1:13) for example.  So how do we understand this?

 

In the Scriptures, the word “ability” is used according to one’s sphere.  By that I mean, when it says that we “can do all things,” this is within the sphere of Christianity.  We can do all things necessary to maintain the standard Christ has set for us…it is not promising unconditional omnipotence to those who believe some arbitrary thing.  For example, a man who believes he can fly may injure himself before too long.  A man who believes he can swim across the ocean may find that his body disagrees with him when he is a few miles from shore.

 

Zahakiel: But a Christian who believes, he is capable of doing all that is necessary to perform the will of the Father in Heaven.  If Yahweh wishes us to fly, He can take us up to Heaven in a whirlwind. (2Kings 2:1)  If He wishes us to cross the ocean from one continent to another, He can place us where He wishes. (Acts 8:39, 40)  It is not the will of the Father that humans should sin, therefore abiding in Christ we “cannot” sin; and of course we will cover that more fully when we discuss what sin is.  We are “able” to overcome every sin, but not in our own power, because our sphere is limited by our humanity (as was Christ’s in human form) but… just as He did it, so may we, by constant connection to the Father, and by trusting in the providences of His grace as described in 1Cor 10:13.

 

Now from the perspective of Yahweh, He is certainly “able” to do all things, but He restricts Himself based on His Own character.  In other words, His character is holy, therefore He will not act in a manner that is unrighteous.  His character is love, and He will not act in any way motivated by hatred.  His character is so opposed to evil that there is no possibility of Him being “tempted” to do something contrary to His nature. 

 

Zahakiel: Ability, therefore, in regard to both men and Yah, is never used Biblically in an absolute sense, but always with consideration for the character of those involved, and the sphere of power in which he or she operates.  Are there any questions about this word?

 

Rita: None.

Naraiel: No.

Happy Rock: No.

Crystle: No.

Barb: No.

 

Zahakiel: Now, I had considered writing “Anger” here, but I will cover that under Wrath later on.  So we move on now to a word that was mentioned in our first entry:

 

Cannot: A born-again Christian, it is written, “cannot” commit sin. (1John 3:9)  As we all know, this verse has been the subject of controversy among worldly Christians and lovers of sin.  The reason is that the Bible makes no distinction between practical and theoretical possibilities.  The expressions “cannot” and “will not” are used interchangeably, saying at times of various people that they “will not hearken,” (Lev 26:27) and of the same people that they “cannot hearken.” (Jer 6:10)

 

In matters of moral weight, if it is said that one “cannot” do something, it means that this is a self-imposed restriction. We know this, because humans were created in the “image” of God, (Gen 1:26 freely able to choose whom they would serve, whether to sin or to righteousness. (Josh 24:15, Rom 6:16)  In other words, a Christian “cannot” commit sin because he has chosen to walk in the spirit, and not in the flesh, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom 8:4)

 

Just as it was with Christ, it is theoretically possible to do some known, wrong act, but it is a practical impossibility.  Luke was speaking with someone recently about the Victory message, and he shared with me some of how the conversation went.  The individual with whom he was speaking put it very well.  He said, essentially, “There is no way I would commit a known sin.”  That is exactly what the Bible means by “cannot;” that, “there is no way.”  We may just as correctly say, “There is no way I would ever drink poison.”  Of course we have arms capable of lifting a vial of poison to our mouths, and we have mouths and throats to swallow, but our very human nature restricts us (unless we are suicidal) from knowingly doing something that will result in our deaths.  We may, theoretically, do such a thing, but there is “no way” we ever would.  This is how the Bible, when speaking of moral issues, uses the term “cannot.”  Are there any questions on this entry?

 

Rita: None.

Kevin: No.

Naraiel: None.

Barb: No.

Crystle: No.

Happy Rock: No.

Guerline: No.

 

[Insert from December meeting]

 

Zahakiel: Conversation: This is an interesting word.  It does not require a lot of explanation, only a mention that in the language of the earlier translations of the Bible, this word did not mean (as it does today) merely that which you speak.  It also means the way in which you act, think and the overall picture you present to others who are observing you.

 

In other words, when the Scriptures say, “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation,” (1Pet 1:15) it does not refer merely to the spoken word (although this idea is definitely included) but to all manner of dealings including social, business and casual.

 

Dignity:  This word is actually not very common in the Bible.  It appears only four times in the King James’ Version, and all in the Old Testament.  Twice, in Gen 49:3 and Hab 1:7, it has the meaning of “exaltation,” or “loftiness;” it has a similar meaning in Ecclesiastes 10:6, although it is there translated from another word.  In Esther 6:3, it means “honor,” such as that which may be bestowed upon an important figure.

 

Modern use includes all those meanings, but also adds a connotation of composure; in other words, to handle something “with dignity” means to react in a calm and thoughtful manner.  While not appearing in the following passage, Peter’s advice to Christians certainly comes down to a call for Christian dignity in our actions: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1Pet 2:11, 12) Remembering what “conversation” means, we find this is certainly good – necessary – advice for all who would be witnesses of Christ Yahshua.

 

Any questions on either of those two words?

 

Rita: No.

Barb: No.

Kevin: None here.

Crystle: None.

Happy Rock: No.

[End of Insert]

 

Zahakiel: Faith: This one could also be listed as “belief,” because the word is the same in the language of Scripture.  Simply put, the Bible uses this term in a very general way to indicate an individual’s assurance that something is a certain way, and the motivation that this provides for action.  It does not always mean genuine or saving faith, only an acceptance of something as true.  For example, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well. The devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19)

 

There are some religions that believe, or have faith (same word) that there is only one God.  The Jews, the Muslims, and even some pagan religions, are monotheistic, or nearly so.  They believe that there is only one God.  That is good, so far as it goes, but as James points out, merely having faith in this one aspect of the Creator, that He is one, does not qualify one for salvation.  The devils, the fallen angels, are also monotheists, because they know (from experience) that there is only one Elohim.

 

Rita: Heavy.

 

Zahakiel: The Scriptures, however, speak about a very special kind of faith, a faith in, and of, the Savior; and this is the faith that leads to eternal life.  We read, “But the Scripture hath concluded [grouped together] all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yahshua the Messiah might be given to them that believe.” (Gal 3:22)  And, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yahshua.” (Rev 14:12)

 

Nowadays, even this kind of faith is poorly understood, because people will agree with the first part of the definition, that it is a conviction that something is true.  They leave out, unfortunately, the second weight of meaning this term carried in the ancient mind, that belief was also a motivating factor behind actions.  It is not enough, in Bible terminology, to accept something as true intellectually, and particularly so when it comes to the faith of Yahshua.  Some will quote Romans 10:9 and think that this is the whole thought: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Yahshua, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

 

But Paul goes on to explain exactly what he means by “believe in thine heart,” saying, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10:10)  True belief, according to the apostle, leads to two outward signs of its existence: Righteousness, which is “correctness of thinking feeling, and acting,” and Confession, an open testimony of our state.  In other words, is religion, according to Paul, a “personal” thing in that it is to be kept private?

 

Zahakiel: Not at all… the religion of Christ must be the most public of things, and only those who are ashamed of the things they claim to be true will use, as an excuse to remain neutral or silent, the statement that “Faith is a personal thing.”  In a sense the statement is true, because we must accept it as individual persons, being individually saved… but that is where the individual nature of it ends.  After that we are a part of a community, a fellowship of earthly saints with “an innumerable company of angels,” (Heb 12:22) and a royal nation whose greatest obligation is to teach the world what it knows about Yahweh, and openly so.

 

Rita: I saw this Sabbath that being quiet was open hostility to God.  That it was me that I saw doing that.

 

Zahakiel: That is certainly a good thing to identify, confess, and forsake, yes.

 

Here is the next entry:

 

Fear: To the world, fear is associated with the desire to avoid something.  The Bible uses the word in this sense when speaking of worldlings, as John writes, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1John 4:18)  Love, pure and divine love, casts out all worldly fear.  Yet the Bible also uses the word, when speaking of saints, of a different kind of fear than that which is cast out by true love.

 

In fact, to have both love and godly fear are a requirement for the service of Heaven.  We read, all in one verse, “And now, Israel, what doth Yahweh thy God require of thee? But to fear Yahweh thy Almighty, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Yahweh thy Almighty with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deu 10:12)  This is the verse partially quoted by Yahshua in Matthew in response to the question, “Which is the first [i.e., greatest] commandment of all?” (Mat 12:28-30)

 

We are told to both love and fear Yah, and when used of the Redeemed, it does not have to do with “torment” as John describes of those not yet made perfect in love, but with worship.

 

The words awful, terror, terrible – these also might have had entries here, except that they are associated directly with fear, so they appear all together here.  Awful originally meant, as you can still understand from its spelling, “full of awe,” or capable of inducing overwhelming feelings.  It now has a strictly negative connotation in modern English.  Terror, caused by something terrible, was likewise a word used to describe great feeling towards either something extremely good or extremely bad.  This is why the translators could rightly describe Yahweh as a “terrible” God. (Deu 7:21)

 

Zahakiel: Any questions about “fear?”

 

Crystle: No.

Kevin: No.

Barb: No.

Guerline: No.

Rita: None.

Happy Rock: No.

 

[Insert from December meeting]

 

Firstfruits:  This word has a wide variety of applications in the Scriptures.  It may mean the first of the crops to be harvested, a section of the land’s wealth that was specifically dedicated to Yahweh.  We read of that usage here: “And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you.  On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.’” (Lev 23:9-11)

 

The firstfruits were also a type of Christ.  As the first, and best, of the harvest, Yahshua represented the “last Adam,” who would overcome where the former had failed, (1Cor 15:45) and in so doing bring with Him a “harvest” from the earth. (Rev 14:15, 16)  Because of the “type/antitype” symbolism applied from the firstfruits to Christ, we are given the ability to clear up the length of time that Yahshua was in the grave, avoiding the “third day” vs. “three days and three nights” controversy altogether, understanding both of these to simply be different, idiomatic ways of saying the same thing.  Paul writes of Christ, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1Cor 15:3, 4)

 

There are no “Scriptures” that speak specifically about a human rising again on a third day.  The only way we can understand this is to look for a symbol that represents Christ, and fortunately it is Paul himself who supplies it, writing in that very chapter that, “Christ [is] risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” (1Cor 15:20)  Going to the Old Testament to see what we can see about “firstfruits” and a “third day,” we read that on the “morrow after the Sabbath,” the “third day” (inclusive) from the Passover, the “wave sheaf” of the firstfruits was offered to Yah. (Lev 23:15)

 

The historian Josephus, who lived at the time of Christ, reveals that this was indeed done on the 16th of Nisan, three inclusive days after the Passover on the 14th. [Antiquities of The Jews, Book III, Chapter X, Paragraph 5]

 

So the Firstfruits may be the literal first part of the harvest.  It may symbolically be applied to Christ.  It may also, in a third sense, be applied to individuals who are worthy examples for others to follow.  Paul commends a Church member by calling him “wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.” (Rom 16:5)  In another epistle he compliments “the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia” (1Cor 16:15) In Revelation, the prophet sees the 144,000 as “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Rev 14:4) In all these cases, the connotations of this word include primary, excellent, the very best of all that may be offered.

 

Any questions on that entry?

 

Rita: Not now.

Crystle: None here.

Naraiel: No.

Happy Rock: No

Barb: No.

Kevin: No.

Jared: No.

 

[End of Insert]

 

Zahakiel: Grace: In modern Christendom, the word “grace” almost means, “Permission to do evil.”  It is never openly defined this way, of course, but that is the connotation it is given.  We hear, “Oh, we don’t have to obey [the law, God all the time, the Bible’s every applicable instruction, the Old Testament, etc.] because we are under grace.”  I am sure we have all heard this, or versions of this, as we have spoken to others about the faith of Yahshua.

 

Biblically, however, Grace is far different from licentiousness, using Yahweh’s mercy as “license” to commit spiritual crimes.  We are told that “Yahweh is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty.” (Num 14:18a) Paul speaks of those who abuse the “riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” (Rom 2:4)  This is very important!  The grace of Yahweh, the undeserved favor, the un-earned gift of his mercy and longsuffering, is not given to men that they might sin, but that they might be led to repentance.  This is true in two ways: first, it allows us to see His forgiving nature that we might desire to emulate it and surrender our previous life of sin; and second, it gives us time to repent, for a sinner is immediately worthy of death, “in the day”5:28 that he becomes guilty. (Gen 2:17)

 

Zahakiel: If we understand these aspects of Yah’s longsuffering and mercy, then we realize that the grace by which these are provided is rightly described by Ezra when speaking of the earthly temple:  “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from Yahweh our Almighty, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.” (Ezra 9:8)  Spiritually speaking, this is precisely what grace is to every human being.

 

[Insert from December meeting]

 

Zahakiel: The next of the suggested words, Haste, simply means “speed.”  It is not usually used in a negative context, as it might be today.  If you say that one is a “hasty” person, or does something with haste, it usually implies that they were careless about their manner of activity, and in such a rush that they do not attend details with due care.

 

Biblically, it is a term applied to how Yahweh may answer His people, “Make haste to help me, Adonai, my salvation.” (Psa 38:22)  See also Psa 22:19, Psa 40:13, 71:12, 116:11 and so on.

 

[End of Insert]

 

Hatred:  This is an important one.  There are some verses that use “hatred,” or some form thereof, in ways that can be potentially confusing, especially to newer Bible students.  For example, Christ said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

 

Yet we also find, “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” (Eph 5:28)   Yahshua Himself said, quoting the commandments, “Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Mat 19:19)

 

Zahakiel: The absolute predestination people also get confused by statements that read, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” (Rom 9:13)  This can cause a stumbling block for those interested in understanding free will, because this statement is made about those individuals even before they were born. (verse 11)

 

Understanding the New Testament properly often (I might say always) involves understanding the mindset of the authors, and this means knowing what they knew about the Scriptures.  For example, in Romans 9:13, Paul actually precedes that statement about Esau and Jacob by saying, “As it is written…” He is quoting from the Old Testament, and this passage specifically, spoken to Jacob (the nation of Israel): “‘I have loved you,’ saith Yahweh. Yet ye say, ‘Wherein hast thou loved us?’ ‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ saith Yahweh, ‘Yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, ‘We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places,’ thus saith Yahweh of hosts, ‘They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, Gaboul Rishah [The Border of Wickedness], and, The people against whom Yahweh hath indignation for ever.” (Mal 1:2-4)

 

Paul is using this passage (there is none other like it in the Bible) to explain how a people (not individuals) are chosen despite any obvious lack of merit.  It is not at all speaking of Esau as an individual being “hated,” because Esau was rejected based upon character, and actions based upon that character, not upon some arbitrary pre-birth factor.  We read that he, “sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” (Heb 12:16, 17)  The author there is not warning individuals about being Esaus from birth, but about “following peace,” walking in sanctification and “Looking diligently” that we remain in faith.  If Esau was “hated” for some arbitrary reason, or some reason known only to the Almighty, this advice would be meaningless – we are told to avoid developing the character that Esau developed, becoming “profane” in nature. (Heb 12:15, 16)

 

Zahakiel: Does everyone understand that?

 

Rita: Yes.

Naraiel: Yes.

Crystle: Yes.

Happy Rock: Yes.

Kevin: Yes.

Guerline: Yes.

 

Zahakiel: Going a little further, in that context “loved” merely means chosen or selected, and  “hated” merely means rejected as the recipient of a particular blessing.  This is especially true when speaking of the rights of inheritance (as would be the case of Israel, who is the “inheritance” of the Almighty. (Isa 19:25, Jer 10:16)

 

We can illustrate this by looking at the original instructions regarding inheritances, which the Bible itself applies spiritually to the nation of Israel: “If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated, then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn.  But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.” (Deu 21:15-17)

 

Now if a man literally “hated” one of his wives, as we would use the term today, he could easily disinherit her by putting her away. (Deu 24:1)  Abraham did exactly this with Hagar and Ishmael (his actual firstborn), and he was not in violation of divine principle – and she was indeed called his “wife.” (Gen 16:3, 21:12)  But here we see that the theoretical man in question retained both wives, favoring them both, but he “preferred” one over the other, and would wish to benefit her children particularly, as Jacob himself did, to the detriment of certain aspects of his family life. (Gen 37:3, 4)

 

Zahakiel: Similarly, it is only if we do not “prefer” (not actually hate, as we would say today) our earthly families over Christ’s service that we are safe from temptation in that regard.  Satan will assuredly seek to use friends and family against us to take us out of the Way, in many cases without their direct knowledge.  It is only if the love of Christ is supreme in a person’s heart that he can be an effective evangelist to those emotionally close to him without being undone spiritually by the Tempter’s efforts.  Does everyone understand this?

 

Rita: Yes.

Guerline: Yes.

Happy Rock: Yes.

Barb: Yes.

Crystle: Yes.

Kevin: Yes.

 

Zahakiel: Humility:  Another important entry.  Worldly humility means refusing to acknowledge that which is good about yourself, and letting others do it for you.  Now, it is certainly a good practice not to be boastful, and it is certainly true also that statements from others about you are more effective than statements you make about yourself.  That is a Biblical principle: “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men; for better it is that it be said unto thee, ‘Come up hither,’ than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.” (Pro 25:6, 7)

 

Let others speak well of you, essentially.  But now there is a way to take that to extremes in that, if we deny the things that Yahweh has made about us that are good and beneficial, this is actually a kind of dishonesty, and a faulty understanding of true humility.

 

Moses was able to say, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” (Num 12:3)  Job was able to say, “The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose, and stood up. The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.” (Job 28:8-10)  Daniel said, “My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me, forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me.” (Dan 6:22a)

 

Zahakiel: And lest you think that this way of speaking passed away after the perfect example of Christ was given, Paul said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” (Acts 21:1)  He also said, “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1Cor 4:16, 11:1)  “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” (Phil 3:17)  You know what they would have said of Paul if he made that statement today in Laodicea… But really, it would be just as true today as it was 2000 years ago – a Christian is worthy to be “followed” if he is walking in his integrity with knowledge of divine principles.

 

These are all examples of humility.  Now, a good example in the Bible of pride is Lucifer, who said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isa 14:14)  The difference between Lucifer and Paul, between Lucifer and Daniel, Lucifer and all the others, is that although all these made great claims, the righteous make claims that are true.  Moreover, Lucifer’s desire to be like the most high was based upon what he perceived as his own personal merit, whereas, the humans used as an example here ascribe their justification to Yahweh, who either gave them these gifts, or sustained them in the exercise of their abilities.

 

Zahakiel: Yahweh said through the prophet Jeremiah, “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am Yahweh which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight.” (Jer 9:24)  True humility is being able to admit, and even rejoice in, the talents that we bring to the Body of Christ, but we “glory” that these things have come about, or have been made useful, only through our connection with Him.  This is precisely what Paul was doing in his letters to the Corinthians and Philippians; he was saying, “imitate me” in these characteristics of Yahweh that I portray: lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness.

 

Any questions here?

 

Naraiel: No.

Rita: None.

 

Pastor “Chick”: What about “teachableness”?

 

Zahakiel: Teachableness is also a part of it, yes. In fact, false humility is often a barrier to being genuinely teachable. We’ve tried to teach some people, for example, the Bible’s statements on Victory.  Some of the responses we have encountered have been like, “Well, I don’t think I am good enough for that kind of doctrine,” or “That’s too deep for me.”

 

This is not true humility... this is a rejection of Christ’s gift of faith and wisdom. The truly humble will receive instruction easily.

 

Pastor “Chick”: It could go for some of us as well (if we are not “awake” and “sensitive”) Someone is trying to “teach” us something, and we say, “Oh, I don’t sin, so I do not need to know that.”

 

We need extreme “care” in listening sensitively to others (no matter if it is a donkey).

 

Zahakiel: Well, that kind of statement originated in the author of pride himself... “We are holy, so why do we need instructions?”

 

Rita: Diplomacy is always wise.

 

Zahakiel: All right…

 

Jealousy:  This is one of the two words that inspired this study.  We discussed it briefly at the Feast, but I thought it worth noting here.  We all think of “jealousy” as something associated with the flesh, and in most cases this is a correct assessment, for when Paul is describing the “works of the flesh” he includes, “emulations” and “envyings,” (Gal 5:20, 21) which have the meanings of “to be eager to imitate,” and simply “jealousy” in a more general sense respectively.  Of course, to “imitate” the godly behavior of someone is not a bad thing; the connotation of that word is sort of like seeking to outdo someone in a rivalry.  If you notice that someone can play the piano well, and you start taking lessons, not because you like the playing and want to be able to do likewise, but because you want to outperform the first individual, this is an example of “emulation.”

 

The actual word “jealousy” as translated in the King James Version, is never actually used in an explicitly negative way, except potentially once in Proverbs 6:34.  In fact, there is actually a “Law of Jealousy” described in Numbers 5:11-31 in which a husband who is “jealous,” because his wife has had an affair can take her to the priest who, by the performing of a symbolic ritual, can make divine pleasure manifest in her very flesh.  There may be some benefit to studying the details of this ritual in light of spiritual “adultery” that a Church may commit, and if anyone obtains any inspiration while reading that chapter regarding the SDA Trademark, the fall of the Apostolic Church, or any other examples following the same principle, I’d be interested in hearing it.

 

Zahakiel: Uniformly, divine jealousy is described as an enduring characteristic of Yahweh.  It is borne out of a fervent love for His people, and a desire to keep them safe from evil influences.  “Then will Yahweh be jealous for His land, and pity His people.” (Joel 2:18)  Even humans may have a godly jealousy, which is a desire to protect the reputation, integrity and safety of something that is precious.  Paul says to the Church and of the Church, “I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ.” (2Cor 11:2)

 

In seeking to comprehend all the words in this lexicon, and “jealousy” is certainly a good example, see how it sounds with the word “godly” before it.  Jealousy is a work of the flesh, if we look at it from a strictly human perspective, but “godly jealousy” is a vital aspect of divine love.  Fear is the result of a kind of selfishness in the carnal mind, but “godly fear,” that is, “the fear of God,” is “the beginning of wisdom” (Psa 110:11) and “the beginning of knowledge.” (Pro 1:7)

 

Judgment:  That statement at the end of the entry on humility made me remember this word.  It is written in Jeremiah 9:24 that Yah delights in “judgment.”  Yet in modern Christianity, “judgment” is the new expletive.  Many attempts to bring useful reproof to a carnal Christian are met with, “Why are you judging me?”  Even if it is not spoken, this is the true thought behind the resistance of rebuke – and it is a pride of  “self.”  This is similar to the “teachableness” that pastor mentioned earlier. The true measure of humility in respect to judgment is this: “Am I willing to accept reproof from individuals whom I do not respect, if their words have merit?”  If you can honestly answer, “Yes” to that question, then you understand judgment in the positive way it is used in Jeremiah 9.

 

Zahakiel: It is a misconception some have that the Bible does not tell us to judge one another.  We are, in fact, instructed to do exactly that – only very carefully and with a spirit of love, and not of pride.  Some say, “Well, Christ taught us not to judge, or we will be judged ourselves.”  In saying this, they are not allowing the Messiah to finish His statement.  It is true that Matthew 7:1 reads, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”  This is a “proof-text” that has been lifted (far too often) from its rightful setting.

 

Pastor “Chick”: I was thinking of “righteous judgment” brings forth “justice.”

 

Zahakiel: Yes. That is how we know right and wrong... one of the definitions of “judgment.”

 

We see that demonstrated in Christ’s full statement of Matthew 7.  Here is the full passage:

 

“Judge not, that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, ‘Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?’ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Mat 7:1-5)

 

I added emphasis to the word “first” and the phrase beginning with “then.”  This is to point out something often overlooked – that Yahshua is not here stating a “rule,” but giving a procedure: first this, and then that.  If you only do the first thing, and ignore the second step, have you obeyed?

 

Rita: No.

Guerline: No.

 

Zahakiel: First, (and He is speaking here to hypocrites, as He later says) do not “judge” anyone – and that is an interesting word to look at, as we will do shortly.  If you judge someone harshly, Yahshua says, you will likewise receive harsh judgment; if you judge someone fairly, you will receive the same.  But then, the procedure He gives instructs us in how not to be a hypocrite, so that we can “judge” (in the sense of helping) others effectively.

 

If we first make sure we are clean of an evil before seeking to help another overcome it, we are not being hypocritical.

 

It is not love, but cowardice, indifference or hatred, that leaves a sinner unwarned.  Yahweh said, “When I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die,’ and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezek 3:18)

 

Zahakiel: Paul explicitly notes that matters involving Church members are to be judged by Church members. “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?” (1Cor 6:2, 3)  And again, he asks the rhetorical question, “do not ye judge them that are within [the Church]?” (1Cor 5:12)

 

What the Bible teaches is that we are to avoid passing “judgment” on people outside the Body of Christ.  Now, this does not mean we cannot seek to encourage them in doing right – but we are not to rashly conclude that they are deliberately being evil because of their lack of light.  The word Judgment in the Scriptures can mean one of two things: either to simply decide between two or more options, this is what results in justice, as indicated before, or to pronounce “sentence.”

 

For example, Paul says, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.” (1Cor 10:5)  In other words, “Decide if what I say is right or wrong.”  In the other sense, the “Day of Judgment” is not a day of deciding, but a day of handing down sentences. “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these [false teachers], saying, ‘Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” (Jude 1:14, 15)

 

Zahakiel: To “execute judgment” is to pronounce or carry out a sentence.  Even in English we speak about the “judgment of the court” to refer to the thing the court has decided, not the process of consideration.

 

The former, we are certainly to do – we are to constantly be “judging” whether or not things are good or bad, first in ourselves and then outwardly only afterward.  Yahshua gives us the divine instructions in Matthew 7 regarding how to do this properly.  The latter is reserved for the Almighty Himself, spoken of nations or individuals either directly, through miracles, or through agents such as prophets and angels.

 

The judgment of Yahweh, that is to say, the things He has decided, are not things to be feared by humans.  If we love Yah, we desire to be judged by Him, that He may direct our paths.  This is what we call “standing in the judgment,” letting Him refine us.  And in so doing, we open ourselves up to others as well, inviting our brethren to participate in this process.  Our New Moon doctrine is certainly a practical example of the fulfillment of this process.

 

Zahakiel: Nothing scares a carnal Christian more than being “judged,” whether it be by God, by saints, or by worldlings, although they might not be inclined to care as much about the last of these three.  Nothing is more sanctifying to the spiritual Christian than the act of entering into judgment amongst the current and future residents of Heaven, and letting the light of Yahweh’s wisdom strip away the dross to leave only precious gold behind.

 

Are there any questions on this entry or any of the previous ones?

 

Pastor “Chick”: No.

Naraiel: No.

 

Zahakiel: Are there any words that appear before J that I have not covered, or are there words you would like to see covered next month?

 

Rita: Yes, Salvation.

 

Naraiel: Dignity.

 

Pastor “Chick”: First, First-fruit.

 

Guerline: How about Haste?

 

Zahakiel: Okay, I have those written down... and we will look at them next month. Pastor, will you please close this current meeting with prayer?

 

Pastor “Chick”: Dear Heavenly Father,

 

Thank you for this simple, but necessary study on “words of faith”, terms that the Bible employs that we must have clear understanding about.  We are blessed to have your presence and the ministry of angels among us.  Thank you that all of us were able to be present as well (for some of the meeting, at least).

 

We pray a special blessing upon those presently in hardships. May your promises carry us through to the very end. May our understanding of the correct application of your Word be significant to our experience with You.

Dismiss us from this meeting, but not from Your Presence, I pray...

 

In YAHshua’s Holy Name, AMEN.

 

Zahakiel: Amen.

Qinael: Amen.

Guerline: Amen.

Barb: Amen.

Ye: Amen.

Kevin: Amen.

Happy Rock: Amen.

Rita: Amen.

Crystle: Amen.