PART 6

HEALING ON SHABBAT CONTROVERSY

{The Galil people and the leaders of the Yehudim could not agree on Halakhah [how to follow
Torah] and the schools of thought in Yerushalayim actually would pretend that the different rulings in the Galil did not exist! Since Yeshua was from the Galil some leaders of the Yehudim refused to accept His teaching concerning the Shabbat.} Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim to attend a Feast, {that is, an appointed holy season as commanded in the Torah of YHVH}. At Yerushalayim, by the sheep market, there was a pool called Beit-Zata which had five porches. A large number of sick people were laid on these porches. The blind, the crippled and the shrivelled were there, all waiting for the moving of the water, because a messenger of Heaven went down into the pool at holy seasons {the appointed Feasts} and disturbed the water. Whoever stepped into the water first, after it rippled, was healed of whatever disease they had. It was Shabbat and a man was laying there who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. When Yeshua saw him, He knew the man had been in that condition for a long time. So Yeshua asked him, "Do you want to be healed?" The diseased man answered, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed. While I am trying to get there on my own, another person steps into the pool in front of me." Yeshua said to him, "Get up now, pick up your bed and walk!" Immediately, the man was healed and picked up his bed and walked. Some religious leaders said to the man who was cured, "It is Shabbat, so it is not proper Torah for you to carry your bed." "He who cured me told me to pick up my bed and walk," the man explained. Then they asked him, "Who is the man who told you to pick up your bed and walk?" But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Yeshua had disappeared into the crowd that was there. Later, Yeshua found the man worshiping in the Mikdash and said to him, "Remember, you have been healed, so sin no more or else a worse thing will come upon you." The man left Him and went and told some of the religious leaders that it was Yeshua, who had cured him. These religious leaders sought a way to get rid of Yeshua, because He had done this on the Shabbat, so they came to confront Yeshua. Yeshua told them, "Avi is working today, so I work also." {He said this to them because it was permissible to heal on the Shabbat according to the Torah, but those religious leaders had added to the Torah through their tradition, which blinded them.} Because He had not obeyed their man-made tradition concerning Shabbat and even worse, because He said that Elohim was His Abba, making Himself equal with YHVH, certain religious leaders wanted to get rid of Him even more.

YESHUA INVOKES HIS FATHER

Then Yeshua told them, "Amen, amen! I tell you, the Son can do nothing in and of Himself, but only what He sees Abba do. For whatever Abba does, the Son does also. For Abba loves the Son and shows Him everything Abba does and Abba will show Him greater works than these that you may stand in awe. As Abba raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whoever He wills. At this time Abba condemns no one; instead He has delegated all judgment to the Son, that all people should honour the Son, even as they honour Abba. He who does not honour the Son does not honour Abba who has sent Him. "Amen, amen! I tell you, he who hears My Word and trusts Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but he has passed from death into life. Amen, amen! I tell you, the hour is coming and now has arrived, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of Elohim and those who hear it will live. Abba has life in Himself. In that exact manner He has given power to the Son to have life in Himself. Also, He has given the Son the authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man. Do not be confused by this, because the time is coming when all those in the graves will hear Abba's voice. They will all come out. Those who have accomplished good things, will be resurrected into eternal life, but those who have accomplished evil things, will be resurrected to be condemned. ‘As I said, I can do nothing by myself. As I hear, I judge and my judgment is righteous, because I do not desire my own will, but the will of Abba who has sent me. If I alone testify for myself, my testimony is not to be remembered. There is another who testifies for me and I know that the witness which He gives about me is the remembrance. You asked Yochanan and he testified to the remembrance. But I do not rely on the testimony of mankind. I only say these things so that you might be saved. "Yochanan was a burning and shining light. You were willing for a while to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater testimony than Yochanan's. The works which Abba has given me to finish, those same things which I do, they testify of me, that Abba has sent me. And Abba Himself, who has sent me, has testified of me. You have not heard His voice nor seen His shape at anytime. You do not have His Word abiding in you, for you do not trust the One He has sent. By reading the scriptures you think you have secured eternal life. Search them out and you will find they tell about me. However, you will not come to me, so that you can receive the remembrance, the Source of eternal life. "I do not care to receive honour from mankind, because I know that mankind does not have the love of Elohim. I come with the Holy Name of Avi, YHVH and you do not accept me, if another one comes in his own name, you will accept him. Why do you need to trust YHVH, when you receive honour from each other? Because of this, you do not seek the honour that comes from YHVH alone. Do not think that I will accuse you to Abba. There is one who already accuses you, even Moshe, whom you say you trust. For, if you really trusted Moshe, you would also trust me, because it was me he wrote about. But if you do not trust his writings, how can you trust my Word?"

SHABBAT FREEDOM EXPLAINED

On a Shabbat, Yeshua went walking through a corn field with His disciples. They were hungry, so they began to pick and eat ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands. When some P'rushim saw it they said to Him, "Look at your followers! What they are doing is not proper Torah on Shabbat!" Yeshua defended them, "Haven't you ever read what David did, when he and those with him were hungry? He entered into the Holy Tabernacle of YHVH, when Avi'atar was the Kohen Gadol and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not appointed for David or those with him to partake, but only the Kohanim were to eat it. Or have you never read in the Torah, how that on Shabbat many Kohanim in the Mikdash of YHVH work and yet are innocent?" {By this Yeshua demonstrated that persons, due to an emergency or divine right, may have the privilege to perform certain deeds on Shabbat, especially to eat.} "{But there are three more things you need to} consider today. {First,} standing before you is One who is even greater than the Mikdash. {Second,} the scripture says, 'I will have mercy, over sacrifice.' If you knew what this meant you would not have condemned the guiltless. {And third,} I, the Son of man, I am Sovereign over the Shabbat. The Shabbat was made to bless mankind, not the reverse." {By this Yeshua upheld the validity of the Shabbat, His constant authority over it and the practice of mercy and common sense in keeping it. However, these P'rushim had not recognized who Yeshua was.}

SHABBAT HEALING OF SHRIVELED MAN

He departed from there and on another Shabbat Yeshua went into a synagogue, as He always did. A man was there who had a shrivelled-up right hand. There were certain ones of the Torah teachers and P'rushim who kept watching Yeshua to see if He would heal again on Shabbat. So, for the purpose of accusing Yeshua, one of them asked, "Does the Torah allow healing on the Shabbat?" Then Yeshua commanded the man who had the shrivelled hand, "Get up and stand in the middle." The man stood. Then Yeshua said, "I ask you all, does the Torah allow doing good or causing harm on the Shabbat? To save a life or to destroy it?" He looked around at everyone of them, but no one answered Him. "Then, which one of you who has a sheep that falls into a hole on Shabbat, would you not get a hold of it and lift it out? How much more than a sheep is a man worth? Therefore, of course, the Torah allows healing on Shabbat! To do good on Shabbat is even commanded!" Then Yeshua instructed the man with the shrivelled hand, "Stretch out your hand." The man stretched it out and it was restored to complete wholeness, like his other hand. {Yeshua taught by this that Shabbat is good for mankind and intended for healing.} Yet, after this, some P'rushim left the synagogue filled with anger {because they loved their tradition more than Torah}. They held a council against Yeshua to try to find a way to get rid of Him. When Yeshua found out, He left there and went back to the area around Lake Kinneret, but large crowds followed Him. He healed them all and commanded them not to make Him known. They came from the Galil, from Yehudah and Yerushalayim, from Edom and beyond the Yarden River, from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon in Lebanon. This was done, so what the Prophet Yesha'yahu said would be fulfilled, "Watch My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Ruach upon Him and He will demonstrate judgment to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or complain, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break off and smoking straw He will He will not put out, until He sends judgment to win the victory. The Gentiles will trust in His Name."

ORDINATION OF THE TWELVE

Yeshua instructed His disciples to have a small boat wait on the shore for Him in case the crowds crushed Him. For since He had healed many, those who had plagues pushed toward Him to touch Him. When they did, power came forth from Yeshua and they were all healed of their diseases. When unclean spirits saw Him they fell down before Yeshua and cried out, "You are the Son of Elohim." Then He strictly commanded them that they should not make Him known and they were also healed. {By this we know that deceptive spirits have no privilege to express their knowledge, whether it is true or not.} Going up into a mountain, Yeshua called some of His disciples and they went up with Him. There He ordained twelve of them to stay with Him and to be sent out by Him to preach with the power to heal sickness and to cast out deceiving spirits. He chose Shimon, whom He also named Kefa and Ya'akov and Yochanan, the sons of Zavdai, whom He also named B'nai-Regesh, which means Sons of Thunder. He also chose Andrew and Philip, Natan-El (Bar-Talmai, meaning the son of Talmai) and Mattiyahu (who was Levi the tax collector), T'oma and Ya'akov Ben Chalfai, Taddai (also named Yehudah Ben Ya'akov), Shimon the Zealot and Yehudah from Kir'yot, who was the betrayer of Yeshua.

PART 5

HEALING OF OFFICER'S SON

Yeshua continued to travel throughout the Galil in the power of the Ruach of Elohim. Many people of the Galil received Him, having been to the Feast of Pesach in Yerushalayim {and seeing how He cleansed the Mikdash}. So, His fame become great in the whole region as He taught in their synagogues, being honoured by many. He eventually returned to Kana of the Galil, where He had made the water into wine. There was an officer of the king whose son was in K'far-Nachum. The son was sick and close to death. He went to Yeshua and begged Him to come to K'far-Nachum and heal his son. Then Yeshua said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not trust Me." The royal officer said, "Please Adonai, come back with me or my child will die." "You may return home now, your son will live," said Yeshua. The man trusted the word that Yeshua gave to him and went on his way. As the man was returning, his servants met him and reported, "Your son is alive!" Then he inquired as to what hour it was when his son began to get well. They said, "Yesterday at one o'clock in the afternoon the fever left him.” So the royal officer knew that it was at the same time when Yeshua said to him, "Your son will live." Then he trusted in who Yeshua was and so did his entire family.

REJECTION IN NATZERET

Yeshua went from there and came into His own country and His disciples followed Him. And when Shabbat came He began to teach in the local synagogue. Many who heard Him were astonished, saying, "Where does this man get these ideas? What sort of wisdom is this? How can he perform such powerful acts?" Some people, becoming offended with Yeshua, said, "Isn't he the son of the carpenter, the son of
Miryam, the brother of Ya'akov, Yosef, Yehudah and Shimon? And are not his sisters here with us?" Then Yeshua said to those people, "A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country and among his own relatives and in his own house." So, He did not do many great works there, except He did lay His hands on a few sick people and healed them. He was amazed at the lack of trust there was as He went around into the villages teaching.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS MINISTRY

He came to Natzeret, where He had been brought up and as He always did, He went into the synagogue on Shabbat and stood up to read. They handed Him the scripture scroll of the Prophet Yesha'yahu. After opening the scroll, He found the place where it was written and He read aloud, "The Ruach of YHVH is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to announce freedom to the captives and the restoration of sight to the blind, to set free those who are bruised, to announce the acceptable year of YHVH." He closed the scroll and handed it back to the Shamash [Torah servant] and sat down. The eyes of all those in the synagogue were staring at Him. Then He said to them, "This very day this scripture is fulfilled as you hear it." Everyone who heard was intrigued by the words of authority with which He spoke. Then someone said, "Isn't this Yosef's son?" Yeshua answered, "You will surely tell Me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself. We have heard what you did in K'far-Nachum, now do it here again in your own country.' Amen, amen! I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I remind you, many widows were in Yisrael in the days of Eliyahu, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months and great famine was throughout all the land. But Eliyahu was not sent to any of them. Instead, he went to a widow woman in Serapat, a town of Sidon. Also, there were many lepers in Yisrael at the time of Elisha the prophet and none of them were cleansed, but Na'aman the Syrian was cleansed." {By this Yeshua was saying not all of Elohim's blessings were reserved for those who considered themselves His covenant people. It is trust in Elohim that brings forth the blessing.} When they heard these things some of those in the synagogue were offended. They rose up and forced Yeshua out of the town, taking Him to a cliff near their town, in order to throw Him down. But He passed through their midst and went on His way. Yeshua learned that Yochanan was arrested and put into prison by Herod Antipas. Then He left Natzeret and decided to make His home in K'far-Nachum, which is upon the coast of Lake Kinneret, within the borders of Zevulun and Naftali. Which fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Yesha'yahu, "The land of Zevulun and the land of Naftali, by the coast of the sea, beyond the Yarden, Galil of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness saw a great Light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death the Light are arisen."

DECEPTIVE SPIRIT CAST OUT

On Shabbat, Yeshua entered into the synagogue and taught. The people were amazed with His doctrine, for He taught as one who had authority and not in the style of the Soferim. In the synagogue there was a man with an deceptive unclean spirit and he cried out, "Leave us alone! What do we want from you, Yeshua HaNatzeret? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of Elohim!" Yeshua rebuked him, "Be quiet and come out of him." Then the deceiving unclean spirit ripped through him, threw him down and cried with a loud voice as it left him unhurt. Those watching were all amazed and questioned among themselves, "What is happening? What new doctrine is this? With authority He commands the unclean spirits and they obey him." With this event Yeshua's fame spread even more throughout all the region of the Galil.

SHIMON'S HOUSE

Next, Yeshua left the synagogue and visited Shimon's home. Shimon's mother-in-law had a high fever and they asked Yeshua to heal her. As He stood over her He rebuked the fever and it left her immediately, so she got up and served them. When the sun set and the Shabbat had ended, those who had sick people with various diseases brought them to Him. He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. Deceiving spirits also came out of many, yelling out, "You are the Moshiach, the Son of Elohim!" They knew He was the Moshiach. Therefore, He strongly commanded them to keep quiet, so that they could not speak.

CATCH OF FISH

In the morning, He left Shimon's house and went into a desert place. Yet, the people sought Him out and found Him and stayed near Him, so that He could not get away from them. Then they crowded Him as He stood by Lake Kinneret. Seeing two fishing boats anchored there, which the fishermen had left in order to wash and mend their nets, Yeshua climbed into the one which belonged to Shimon, who was also called Kefa and requested that he would push out a little from the land. Shimon complied and Yeshua sat down to teach the people out of the boat. When He had finished His lesson He said to Shimon, "Sail out father into the deep water, then let your nets go down for a catch." "Rabbi, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing," Shimon objected, then reconsidered, "But because You ask me I will let down the nets." When they had reached the deep waters they put the nets down. Quickly the nets began to fill with a huge catch of fish, so many that the nets began to break. So Shimon beckoned his partners in the other boat to come and help; then both boats became so full that they began to sink. When Shimon Kefa saw it, he fell down at Yeshua's knees and cried, "Adonai, depart from me, for I am a sinful man." He was overcome with excitement, along with his brother Andrew and his partners Ya'akov and Yochanan, the sons of Zavdai. Then Yeshua comforted Shimon and said to them all, "Do not be afraid, rather come now and follow me, because from now on I will form you into fishers of men." So when they all had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Yeshua. And He said to them, "Let's go from here into other towns, so I can preach there also, because I was sent for this reason."

LEPER CLEANSED

Yeshua went through all the Galil teaching in the synagogues and announcing the joyful report of the Kingdom. He was healing all kinds of sickness and all varieties of diseases, as well as casting out deceptive spirits among the people. In one instance, a leper came to Yeshua, kneeling down before Him and imploring Him, "If you will it, you can make me clean." Yeshua was moved with compassion and touched the leper with His hand. Then He said, "Yes, I do will it. Be clean." As soon as He said it the leprosy was gone and the man was cleansed. Then Yeshua gave him strict instructions, "See to it you say nothing about this to anyone, but go show yourself to the Kohen, then offer the sacrifice for your cleansing which Moshe commanded in the Torah. This should be enough of a testimony to them." However, the man left and began to passionately talk about what had happened to him everywhere he went. Because of it Yeshua could no more openly enter a town. So He stayed out in the deserted places and prayed, but the people found Him and came from every quarter to see Him.

YESHUA AT HOME

Then Yeshua entered into a boat and crossed over Lake Kinneret and came again to His own town of K'far-Nachum and the news spread that He was at His home. And the P'rushim and Soferim came out of every town of the Galil, Yehudah and Yerushalayim to hear Him. So many people came that there was no more room in His house and the door was blocked. Yet, He taught them the Word and the power of YHVH was present to heal. Men came carrying a man in a bed who was afflicted with palsy. They tried to bring him in and to lay him before Yeshua. But they could not get him through the crowd of people. So, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the roof tiles into the middle of the room where Yeshua was. When Yeshua saw their trust, He said to the sick man, "Your sins are forgiven." Hearing this, some Soferim and P'rushim began to reason to themselves, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? For whom else has authority to forgive sins other than Elohim?" When Yeshua perceived their thoughts, He said, "Why do you question this in your hearts? Which is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Rise up and walk?' However, so that you realize the Son of man has the authority on earth to forgive sins. . ." Yeshua turned to the man with the palsy, "Get up, fold up your bed and go to your house." That moment the man got up, picked up his bed, glorified Elohim and went home. All were amazed and glorified Elohim. They were filled with fear and said, "We have seen strange things today, which we have never seen before." Then Yeshua left His home to walk again by Lake Kinneret and all the crowds went along with Him, so He taught them. As He passed by He saw {Mattiyahu the} Levi, the son of Chalfai, sitting at the customs counter. Yeshua said to him, "Follow me." {Mattiyahu the} Levi arose and followed Him. He then went to the house of {Mattiyahu the} Levi to eat. Many tax collectors and sinners also sat and ate with Yeshua and His disciples. There were many who followed Him. When certain Soferim and P'rushim saw Him eat with tax collectors and sinners, they said to His followers, "Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" When Yeshua heard them address His followers, He said to them, "Those who are healthy have no use for a physician, but those who are sick do. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to do t'shuvah." Some of the disciples of Yochanan and those of the P'rushim were fasting from food, so they asked Yeshua, "Why do the disciples of Yochanan and the P'rushim fast, but your disciples do not?" Yeshua answered, "Can the attendants of the bridal house fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. In those days they will fast. Also, no one sews a piece of new cloth onto an old garment, because the new piece will shrink and pull apart from the old part, then the tear is made worse. And no one pours new wine into old skins, because the new wine will burst the skins and the wine will spill and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new skins." {By this Yeshua instructed that the righteous must be patient with those new to righteousness.}

PART 4

FIRST CLEANSING OF THE MIKDASH

Yeshua went to Yerushalayim to celebrate the holy Feast of Pesach, as the scripture instructs. While there He entered the courtyard of the Mikdash. He saw the ones who sold oxen, sheep and doves and those who exchanged money for the sacrifices. {At that time the people were not permitted to sacrifice an animal, unless the corrupt religious leaders had put their seal on it. They raised the price of these specially approved animals so much, that it became a burden on the people to sacrifice as they had been commanded in the Torah. Thus, these unlawful Kohanim were desecrating the Mikdash by extorting money from the worshipers. As mentioned, the rightful Kohenim, the sons of Tzadok, had been exiled from serving the Holy Altar.} Yeshua was enraged with indignation {at the monopolistic merchandising of worship, which transgressed the holy purpose of the House of YHVH}. So, He made a whip out of cords and with it He drove all the merchants, along with all the sheep and oxen, from the Mikdash. Then
Yeshua poured out the money bags and overturned the tables of those who took the money and the seats of the dove peddlers. He commanded them, "take these things out of here! For it is written, 'My House shall be called a House of prayer for all the nations,' but you have made it a den for robbers. Do not make Avi's House a house of merchandise!" Someone in charge questioned Him, "What sign do you show to us to prove your right to do this?" "Destroy this Mikdash and in three days I will raise it up," Yeshua quickly answered, {speaking of His own physical body}. Some of the chief Kohanim and the Torah teachers were listening to Him and began to seek a way to destroy Him, because they were afraid of Him and jealous that all the people were awed at His teaching. So some mocked Him, saying, "This Mikdash took forty-six years to build and you will raise it up in three days!" They did not perceive He was speaking of His own body. However, many others at this Feast of Pesach trusted that Yeshua was true, because they saw the things He did and considered them significant. Yet, He did not trust them, for He knew the true motives of all mankind.

NICODEMUS

That night a P'rush named Nicodemus, a religious leader, came to Yeshua and said, "Rabbi, we know you are teacher who has come from Elohim, for no man could do the signs you do unless Elohim is with him." Yeshua responded, "Amen, amen! I tell you then, no man can look at or understand the Kingdom of Elohim unless He has been reborn." Nicodemus was confused and asked, "How can a man be reborn when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb to be born once again?" Yeshua answered, "Amen, amen! What I am telling you is that no man can enter into the things of the Kingdom of Elohim unless he has been born first physically, by way of water, then secondly born spiritually, through the Ruach of YHVH. Because that which is born through the flesh is flesh, but that which is born through the Ruach of YHVH is spiritual. So, do not be confused because I said you must be reborn. For the Ruach of YHVH blows where it is appointed and you can Shema its voice, but not know how or where it came from, or even where it is going. This is what will happen to everyone who is born of the Ruach of YHVH." Nicodemus responded, "How can this happen?" "Are you a teacher of Yisrael and yet you cannot understand this?" Yeshua answered him, "Amen, amen! I tell you, We have spoken about what We know to be fact and witnessed what We have seen take place in Yisrael and you still do not receive Our witness. Therefore, if I have demonstrated things on Earth to you, and you do not believe it, how will you come to believe the things of Heaven I am telling you now? The fact is: no man will ascend to enter Heaven, except through Him who descended from Heaven, that One being the Son of man. "{So, I will illustrate the heavenly with the earthly:} Moshe raised the serpent in the wilderness and people who trusted enough to look at it were healed in their flesh. In the same way, the Son of man must be raised up, then whoever trusts in Him will live forever. You see, Elohim cared for the world so much, that He has provided the world with the only Son of His direct issue, and whoever in the world puts their trust in Him will not be destroyed, but instead will live forever. "Elohim did not send His Son into the world to be its judge at this time, but rather, to offer the world salvation through Him. Therefore, the one who trusts in Him will not be judged, but the one who does not trust has already been judged, because he has not trusted the authority of the only Son of Elohim's direct issue. This is their judgment, that even though the Light has come into the world, mankind loved to dwell in the darkness, rather than have the Light, because their works were evil. Every person who performs evil deeds hates the Light, and will not come to the Light because His works will be revealed. But the person who does remember righteousness comes to the Light, that His works may be seen to have originated with Elohim."

YOCHANAN ANSWERS A DISPUTE

Then Yeshua and His followers went from Yerushalayim into {the province of} Yehudah and He stayed with them there, where they were officiating the mikveh. Yochanan also was officiating mikveh in Einayim near Shalem because there was plenty of water there. There arose a dispute between some of Yochanan's disciples and some of the religious leaders about the purification of mikveh. So they came to Yochanan and said, "Rabbi, he that was with you beyond the Yarden, the one to whom you bore witness, well, that same person is officiating the mikveh, and many people are coming to him." Yochanan said, "A person can receive nothing, unless it is given to him from Heaven. You yourselves heard me say 'I am not the Moshiach,' rather that I am sent to go before Him. He that has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This is my joy and it is now fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that comes from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the Earth. He that comes from Heaven is above all. He testifies about what He has seen and heard and few men receive His testimony. He who receives His testimony has secured the seal that YHVH is remembered. For He whom Elohim has sent speaks the words of Elohim, and YHVH does not measure His Ruach to Him. Abba loves the Son, and has given all things into His hands. The person that trusts the Son will live forever, but the person that does not trust the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of YHVH resides on him." The P'rushim learned Yeshua was making more followers and officiating more mikvehs than Yochanan (though Yeshua Himself did not officiate, but His disciples did). When Yeshua found out they knew, He left Yehudah and departed again into the Galil. To do this, it was necessary to travel through Shomron.

WOMAN AT THE WELL

Thus, they came to a town of Shomron, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that the patriarch Ya'akov gave to his son, Yosef. Ya'akov's well was there. Therefore Yeshua, being weary because of the journey, sat at the well about the noon hour, and His disciples went into town to purchase food. While He rested, a woman of Shomron came to draw water, and Yeshua asked her, "Will you give me a drink?" The woman, startled by His request, asked, "Why is it that you, being a Yehudah, would ask a drink from me, because I am both a woman and from Shomron? For the Yehudim have no dealings with the citizens of Shomron." Yeshua answered, "If you realized the gift of Elohim that is here and who it is that asks you for a drink of water, you would have asked from me and I would have given you living water." "Sir," the woman responded with bewilderment, "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep, so from where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Ya'akov, who gave us this well, and drank from it himself, along with his children and his cattle?" "Whoever drinks of the water of this well will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I can give him will never be thirsty. Because the water that I can give him will be in him like a fountain springing up into eternal life," said Yeshua. She implored Him, "Sir, give me this kind of water, so that I do not get thirsty, nor have to come here to get water anymore." Yeshua said, "Go get your husband and return here." The woman answered, "I do not have a husband." "You are correct when you say you have no husband at this time, but you have had five husbands," He said and added, "The one whom you now have is really not your husband." "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet," she said. "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, but you Yehudim say that only Yerushalayim is the place where mankind should go to worship." Yeshua responded with patience, "Woman, trust me, the time is coming when you will not worship Abba in this mountain nor in Yerushalayim. Furthermore, you people do not really know how to worship the proper way. We know how we should worship, for salvation is given through the Yehudim. But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship Abba by the Ruach of YHVH and in faithful remembrance. For Abba seeks such to worship Him. YHVH is the Ruach of Life and they who worship Him must also worship Him through His Ruach and in the remembrance He ordained." "I know that Moshiach is coming," she allowed. "The One who is Anointed. When He comes He will tell us everything we need to know." Then Yeshua {pointed to Himself and} said, "I am the One you are talking about." While Yeshua said this His disciples returned and were amazed that He talked with the woman. Yet, none of them would ask Him what He was doing or why He talked to her.

SHOMRON ACCEPTS YESHUA

Then she left her water pot and went into the town. She told the men, "Come and see a man who told me all the things I have done. Isn't He the Moshiach?" Many of the Shomron citizens of that town trusted Him, just because of what the woman had said when she testified, "He told me all I ever did." So, they left the town and began to go out to find Yeshua. In the mean time His followers implored Him, "Rabbi, please eat." But He said to His disciples, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." Therefore the disciples asked each other, "Has someone else brought Him something to eat?" "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work," Yeshua explained. "Do not say, 'In another four months the harvest will come.' Be attentive, I tell you! Lift your eyes up and look on the fields, for they are white and all ready for harvest." {He said this to point out that the citizens of Shomron was coming out to them.} He further taught, "The harvester receives wages and gathers fruit that will live forever. In this way both the one who sows and the one who harvests will rejoice together. This way the saying is confirmed, 'One sows then a different one harvests.' I sent you to harvest that which you did not labour to receive. Other men laboured {the righteous who went before}, but you have received because of their labours." When the citizens of Shomron came to Yeshua, they implored Him to stay with them, so He stayed there two days. Then many more trusted Him because of His own words. Those who trusted said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, but rather because we have heard Him ourselves, and we know that Yeshua is surely the Moshiach, the Saviour of the world."

FROM THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION – SH’MYNY:

“And Naḏav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, each took his fire holder and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and brought strange fire before YHWH, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from YHWH and consumed them, and they died before YHWH.”

“Strange fire?” What was it that Nadav and Avihu did to incur the wrath of YHWH to such an extent that He took their lives? Quite simply, these two brothers conspired to do service to YHWH in their own way, according to their own desires, instead of in the way which He had commanded them.

Does this sound familiar? Too often, we who claim to be Torah-observant (or not) may be observant to a point (or not), yet we insist upon doing things just a little (or a lot) differently than the way in which the Most-High has prescribed them. When we do this, we prove ourselves to be rebellious against the commands of YHWH. How many times have we heard others say (or have said ourselves), ‘I know what the Torah says, but I say...’ or ‘that was true in Moshe’s day, but since Yeshua’s resurrection…?’ It is that ‘but’ which always gets us into trouble. When we reject the clear commands of the Torah and replace them with a ‘but,’ we are in rebellion against YHWH and become worthy of the same punishment that killed Nadav and Avihu. We claim the scriptures as our foundation, yet we refuse to do the expressed will of YHWH in the way He has clearly prescribed it. We do it our own way – as seems “right in our own eyes.”

How can we claim to be observant when we toss out dozens of chapters of the Torah in order to make it conform to our own favorite doctrines? What arrogance on our part! Why not just do what YHWH says to do, and leave it at that? Doesn’t He truly know best? Do we really think we know better than He? Would His own son think so?

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an unbeliever?"

2Cor 6

Have some individual churches become too reliant on the overeducating of pastors? Leaders certainly need to have the knowledge to lead and for a church they need to have Biblical knowledge as well. The problem has developed for many denominations that pastors are far more educated with the administrative details of the church as a business rather than being trained to teach Biblical authority and principle. Acts 4:13, “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Peter and John had no formal education, but they had the ability to amaze the Sanhedrin with their knowledge.

Thought for Today: Wednesday March 19

If you should ask people their opinion why they are not attracted to the Christian faith, most will answer that it is because of believers they know. Some believers repel them by their self-righteousness, others show no love or compassion, and there are many believers that show little or no concern for the world and its problems. In reality, many believers do not get along with each other because of different denominations. Thus, stop forcing yourself on people by words but attract them through action by following Yeshua’s example. People’s lives matter, not possessions or who knows best!

Seeing the astronaunts brought home was a nice feel good American moment. ?

FROM THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION – SH’MYNY:

“And Naḏav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, each took his fire holder and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and brought strange fire before YHWH, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from YHWH and consumed them, and they died before YHWH.”

“Strange fire?” What was it that Nadav and Avihu did to incur the wrath of YHWH to such an extent that He took their lives? Quite simply, these two brothers conspired to do service to YHWH in their own way, according to their own desires, instead of in the way which He had commanded them.

Does this sound familiar? Too often, we who claim to be Torah-observant (or not) may be observant to a point (or not), yet we insist upon doing things just a little (or a lot) differently than the way in which the Most-High has prescribed them. When we do this, we prove ourselves to be rebellious against the commands of YHWH. How many times have we heard others say (or have said ourselves), ‘I know what the Torah says, but I say...’ or ‘that was true in Moshe’s day, but since Yeshua’s resurrection…?’ It is that ‘but’ which always gets us into trouble. When we reject the clear commands of the Torah and replace them with a ‘but,’ we are in rebellion against YHWH and become worthy of the same punishment that killed Nadav and Avihu. We claim the scriptures as our foundation, yet we refuse to do the expressed will of YHWH in the way He has clearly prescribed it. We do it our own way – as seems “right in our own eyes.”

How can we claim to be observant when we toss out dozens of chapters of the Torah in order to make it conform to our own favorite doctrines? What arrogance on our part! Why not just do what YHWH says to do, and leave it at that? Doesn’t He truly know best? Do we really think we know better than He? Would His own son think so?

THIS COMING SHABBATH IS SHABBATH PARAH:

Shabbath Parah is the “Sabbath of the Red Heifer.” It occurs on the Sabbath prior to Shabbath Hachodesh of the month of Aviv. It is a reminder to the people of Yisrael that they must be purified in order to eat the soon coming Pesach. In ancient times, a public announcement was made to that effect immediately before Rosh Chodesh Aviv.

The scripture readings are: B’midbar 19:1-22 and Yechezqel 36:16-38.

And YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying, “This is a law of the Torah which YHWH has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Yisra’el, that they bring you a red heifer, a perfect one, in which there is no blemish and on which a yoke has never come. And you shall give it to El’azar the priest, and he shall bring it outside the camp, and shall slay it before him. And El’azar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood seven times toward the front of the Tent of Appointment. And the heifer shall be burned before his eyes – he burns its hide, and its flesh, and its blood, and its dung. And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and throw them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer. The priest shall then wash his garments, and shall bathe his body in water, and afterward come into the camp, but the priest is unclean until evening. And he who is burning it washes his garments in water, and shall bathe his body in water, and is unclean until evening. And a clean man shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and shall place them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Yisra’el for the water for uncleanness, it is for cleansing from sin. And he who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his garments, and is unclean until evening. And it shall be a law forever to the children of Yisra’el and to the stranger who sojourns in their midst. He who touches the dead of any human being is unclean for seven days. He is to cleanse himself with the water on the third day, and on the seventh day he is clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day, then on the seventh day he is not clean. Anyone who touches the dead of a human being, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the Dwelling Place of YHWH. And that being shall be cut off from Yisra’el. He is unclean, for the water for uncleanness was not sprinkled on him, his uncleanness is still upon him.’”

And the word of YHWH came to me, saying, “Son of man, when the house of Yisra’el dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. To Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her monthly period. So I poured out My wrath on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols they defiled it. And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. I have judged them according to their ways and their deeds. And when they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My set-apart Name for it was said of them, These are the people of YHWH, and yet they have gone out of His land. But I had compassion on My set-apart Name, which the house of Yisra’el had profaned among the nations wherever they went. Therefore say to the house of Yisra’el, Thus said Adonai YHWH, I do not do this for your sake, O house of Yisra’el, but for My set-apart Name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I shall set apart My great Name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am YHWH, declares Adonai YHWH, when I am set-apart in you before their eyes. And I shall take you from among the nations, and I shall gather you out of all lands, and I shall bring you into your own land. And I shall sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean – from all your filthiness and from all your idols I cleanse you. And I shall give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I shall give you a heart of flesh, and put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My judgments and shall do them. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be My people, and I shall be your Elohim. And I shall save you from all your uncleannesses. And I shall call for the grain and increase it, and I shall bring no scarcity of food upon you. And I shall increase the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of scarcity of food among the nations. And you shall remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not excellent. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own eyes, for your crookednesses and your abominations. Not for your sake am I acting, declares Adonai YHWH, let it be known to you. Be ashamed and blush for your ways, O house of Yisra’el! Thus said Adonai YHWH, On the day that I cleanse you from all your crookednesses, I shall cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruined places shall be rebuilt, and the land that was laid waste tilled instead of being a ruin before the eyes of all who pass by. And they shall say, This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Ěden. And the wasted, the deserted, and the destroyed cities are now walled and inhabited. Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, YHWH, have rebuilt the destroyed places and planted what was laid waste. I, YHWH, have spoken it, and I shall do it.”