216 Do you believe that Elohim provide?

Do you believe that Elohim will provide?

The future of the Israelite people world-wide does not appear to be very promising at present, since evil forces are all out to destroy biblical morality and any knowledge that they are the descendants of the ancient nation of Israel, to whom YHVH promised to let a remnant return to the promised Land when Messiah comes to reestablish the commonwealth of Israel to be ruled by King David as the kingdom of Elohim on earth. Like in the case of Herbert W Armstrong’s effort to proclaim these truths to the Israelites dispersed throughout mainly the western world about 30 years ago, ours over the past 15 years have been a voice crying in the wilderness and very few people are concerned with what we teach.

The reason why our teachings have so little impact is that Satan and his agents have succeeded in deceiving the whole world to keep them captured by Esau (or the Roman Catholic Church and her protesting daughters), who does not want the house of Israel – Jacob’s children to receive the blessings they were promised by YHVH to Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Their believe that Torah has been abolished by their false messiah keep them from receiving the blessings to be had by believing in Yahshua the true Messiah, who in fact insisted that believe in Him is totally dependent on believe in the Torah that Moses wrote. If we can convince those descended from the lost ten tribes of Israel to return to Torah observance, after they returned to the covenant relationship with YHVH through Abraham’s one seed Yahshua, they will again be eligible to inherit the promises YHVH made to Abraham, to live eternally as children of Elohim in the Promised Land. However, very few people alive during the time that we live in are interested in eternal life on earth, since our situation is simply getting worse, because of moral decay. Ever since President Trump’s election in the USA and the declaration of Brexit by the Prime Minister of England, there are people who absolutely hate the fact that they are trying to correct the mistakes made by their predecessors to try and make their respective countries great and self-sufficient once again and are all out to destroy whatever they are doing at present. In countries like South Africa where we live under the continues threat that the properties that we paid for dearly over many years could soon be taken away from us for absolutely no compensation, because of the laws currently being promulgated by our government. In addition our children have been kept from any reasonable opportunity to obtain permanent work to earn a living for more than 20 years, because of policies introduced to protect minorities from majorities in countries like the USA, that have been enforced in South Africa where the European descendants who are in the most from the lost ten tribes of Israel are by far less than the indigenous people living here – resulting in the majority being protected from the minority and unless we and our children somehow aim to get out of South Africa, we have absolutely no future here at present. In addition, few people are interested in what YHVH has to say about our present situation in the Scriptures and therefore do not bother to ever read or study what is written in the pages of the Bible, especially if it comes from the Tanach. Truth of the matter is that there are a number of issues in the Scriptures that should be very encouraging to believers to continue in the faith once delivered to the saints, but because Satan’s deception is so great, no one is interested to call on YHVH the Elohim of Israel.

Very few people in the USA and the nations that used to be part of the British commonwealth are aware of their true identity and as a result do not know that more than 90% of the prophecies in the Scriptures are about what is busy playing out in them at present and will continue to do so until Messiah returns after the great tribulation and Day of YHVH, prophesied to occur in the very near future. The biggest problem facing those of us who have like H W Armstrong been trying to make our nations aware of these facts is that YHVH only allows those whom He is busy calling out of these nations to understand these salvation truths at present. The prophet Malachi prophesied that unless those from the lost sheep of the house of Israel already called out of the world teach their children and newly called out believers to return to the faith of their fathers in the faith, YHVH will come and smite the land with a curse. The curses described in Deuteronomy 28 includes to be ruled by the nations into which we were scattered, instead of being the people who were chosen to be the light of the world to show other nations how to serve and obey YHVH the Elohim of Israel for the benefit of the world and its inhabitants. The first thing we have to learn about our fathers in the faith is what YHVH promised Abraham and his descendant through Isaac and Jacob. Once we are fully aware of the promise YHVH made to Abraham and his offspring, we will understand that the erroneous teachings of Churchianity about heaven and an eternal hellfire are totally false. The second important teaching that we should learn about, is that YHVH is planning to bring the kingdom of Elohim, currently located in the third heaven, to earth. Yahshua the Messiah who specifically came to bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant relationship with our heavenly Father, in which He promised to provide for and protect His people in return for their obedience to His Torah teaching for their own good, encouraged those whom YHVH has already called out of the churches of the world to proclaim the good news about the coming kingdom to the world wherever the lost sheep of the house of Israel have been scattered, before the end of the age will come. The only way for new believers to become steadfast in their faith is by getting to know the details of the falsehood they learnt from Churchianity and to replace it with Scriptural truths.

By deceiving mankind to believe that the reward for the saved is to spend eternity in heaven, Satan has succeeded in keeping the bride of Messiah from the Groom. We see that when Yahshua first proclaimed the good news about the coming kingdom of Elohim in Mark 1: 14 & 15, He stressed that we should believe the gospel. The point is if we believe in the coming kingdom of Elohim, we will start living by the rules that will be applicable in the kingdom of Elohim. For those of us coming from Churchianity with their no law culture, we will at first have no idea about the Laws applicable to the proper administration of the Kingdom of Elohim. It is for that reason that we should get to know details of the original covenant with Israel, but also the promise that YHVH made to us through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The only way to build and strengthen our faith is by growing in grace and knowledge of the covenants YHVH made with our fathers in the faith. Once we obtained the knowledge about the salvation of mankind, we will start trusting our Father enough to obey Him, knowing that He will deliver what He promised in His word. The last thing we can afford is to be double-minded as Rav Yaa’cov also warned us in James 1: 5 - 8, saying: ‘But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of Elohim, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (6) But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from YHVH, (8) being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.’ If we pray asking YHVH to heal us with doubt in our minds, we will definitely not be healed! But if we ask knowing that He will heal us, healing will start immediately.

What Yaa’cov taught here is in agreement with what we read from Hebrews 11: 6, as follows: ‘And without faith it is impossible to please Him (Elohim), for he who comes to Elohim must believe that He is (or exists), and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.’ Even so, we also need to be ever mindful what we ask of Elohim, as Yaa’cov warned in James 4: 3, saying: ‘You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.’ Yaa’cov’s second concern about double-mindedness entails what we do with the information that we read and hear from the Scriptures, as he wrote in James 1: 22 – 25, saying: ‘But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (25) But one who looks intently at the perfect law (Torah), the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.’ How do you react to the things you read in the Scriptures? Do you try and find ways to avoid areas that you consider difficult to accept, or do you study the Scriptures with the view to get to know Elohim and to become more obedient. Other than with Christianity, we should go beyond feeling good, we should actually strive to do good, as Yaa’cov wrote in James 1: 26 & 27, saying: ‘If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. (27) This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our Elohim and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.’

Rav Yaa’cov continuous in James 2 telling us about the dangers of double-mindedness when dealing with fellow believers, in verses 8 – 10, saying: ‘If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. (9) But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (10) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”’ This is totally contrary to what Churchianity would like us to believe, as we read from verses 14 & 20 - 26, as follows: ‘What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (20) But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (21) Was not Abraham our Father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (22) You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; (23) and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED ELOHIM, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of Elohim. (24) You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. (25) And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? (26) For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.’ As much as we show our faith by our works, those who do not have the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim indwelling them, is as good as dead. But, if you are from the house of Israel and have been immersed correctly, meaning in the saving name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your past commandment breaking (such as keeping Sunday worship services instead of Sabbath services, eating unclean foods instead of the clean foods ordained by Elohim in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 , keeping Xmas and Easter and not the Set-apart Days Elohim ordained through those who sit in Moses’ seat in Leviticus 23, not believing in the Oneness of Elohim, but in a trinity, committing fornication, adultery or homosexual deeds, stealing, coveting, drinking too much {alcoholic beverages}, or misusing Elohim’s Set-apart name) and the laying on of the hands of a teaching elder, you are as good as being alive, even after you died one day, as you have been given a pledge of your inheritance, as Rav Shaul wrote in Ephesians 1: 13 & 14 and Romans 8: 11 respectively, saying: ‘In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Elohim’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.’ (Romans 8: 11) ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yahshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.’

It was because we developed the necessary faithfulness that we are ready to join our Jewish Brothers as the congregation of Elohim; the same congregation which Moses started in the wilderness after leading Israel out of Egypt, as witnessed in Acts 7: 35 – 38, in this way: “This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one whom Elohim sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. (36) This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. (37) This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘ELOHIM SHALL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ (38) This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.” In fact our Master (Rabbi) and Savior continued with the exact same teacher/discipleship program after He was immersed. During the next few years until our Messiah returns to start ruling His people and the world from Jerusalem, there will be many attacks on our faith. Satan and his many agents are continually looking for new ways in which to get Elohim’s people to follow another counterfeit of the faith once delivered to the saints. It is going to take a lot of faith for the congregation of Elohim to remain faithful to Him to the end. It is again time to get our noses into the Scriptures and like the believers in Berea mentioned in Acts 17: 10 & 11, examine the Scriptures daily, to confirm what we are taught and read, as follows: ‘And the brethren immediately sent Shaul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. (11) Now these (Jews) were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.’ It is only once we have proven our faith from the Scriptures, that it becomes difficult for others to deceive us. But, because of the continual attacks on our faith, it is an ongoing exercise. We need to get into the habit of making time to study Elohim’s word and what better way is there to study the annual Torah portions year after year. In the beginning it is best to follow the guidance of a teacher who had been trained in the discipleship program started by Moses, when he trained Joshua to take over from him when he died. Once we become more familiar with Torah, or Elohim’s truth, we will be able to find examples, where the Prophets and writings in the Tanach as well as the Renewed Covenant, supports the lessons recorded for us in Torah, thereby growing in our knowledge of the Scriptures.

We need to familiarize ourselves with the qualifications that a teacher should have, mentioned in 1 Timothy 3: 1 – 7, in this way: ‘It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer (teacher), it is a fine work he desires to do. (2) An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (3) not addicted to wine or pugnacious (argumentative), but gentle, uncontentious (easygoing), free from the love of money. (4) He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (5) (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the congregation of Elohim?); (6) and not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. (7) And he must have a good reputation with those outside the congregation, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.’ In fact deacons are required to also be of sober habits, not double-tongued, or fond of sordid gain. In addition they should believe the mystery of our faith, without any doubt as confirmed in verses 8 & 9 of First Timothy 3, ‘Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, (9) but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.’ Rav Shaul informs us what the mystery of our faith is in verse 16, and warned about those who teach differently in verse I of first Timothy 4 (KJV), as follows: ‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness (faith): Elohim was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.’ Teachers need a period of time to get to know the material that they will eventually be required to teach, as Yahshua explained in Luke 6: 39 & 40 in this way: ‘And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (40) A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.”’ After we have been trained for a period of time, we do not need a special ordination by men to start teaching new believers, as Yahshua commissioned all who are able to teach in Matthew 28: 18 – 20, saying: “All authority (the KJV reads: ‘power’) has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Set-apart Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The purpose of a teacher is given in Ephesians 4: 11 – 15, in this way: ‘And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints (believers) for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah (meaning the congregation of called out ones.); (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Messiah. (14) As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (15) but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head even Messiah.’ Disciples, who will eventually become teachers, need to get to know what we as Nazarene Jews/Israelites believe, with the necessary Scriptural witnesses in support of the same. After all, Sabbath services should be conducted decently and in order, as Messiah is not the author of confusion, as we read from 1 Corinthians 14: 33, as follows: ‘For Elohim is not an Elohim of confusion but of peace, as in all the congregations of the saints.’ Whereas teaching brings unity of the faith, discussions where many different opinions are expressed, only lead to confusion. The difference between those of us coming from Christianity and other religions and the Jews attending Yeshiva, where men discuss the Torah, is that those who attend Yeshiva are men who have been studying Torah from childhood. Most congregants attending worship services are new to the faith and should be allowed to ask questions and give witnesses and input in support of the message, but the service should remain controlled and not deteriorate into arguments.

Nevertheless, to prepare us for the task at hand helping us to remain faithful to the end, we need to develop the tenacity and faith of our fathers in the faith. It is perhaps for this reason that Yahshua said in Luke 18: 7 & 8, ‘Now shall not Elohim bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? (8) I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?’ YHVH through Jeremiah promised that He will always provide us with suitable teachers as in Jeremiah 33: 19 – 22, as follows: “And the word of YHVH came to Jeremiah, saying, (20) Thus says YHVH, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day, and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, (21) then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. (22) As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’” Each one of us needs to answer this question for ourselves. Do we believe that Elohim will provide? Considering our father in the faith, Abraham, we see that he definitely believed that Elohim will provide. We pick up the account of Abraham, after YHVH told him to take his only son Isaac and go and offer him as a sacrifice to Him. Even though Abraham believed that Isaac would be the sacrifice, Isaac assumed that they would find a lamb to sacrifice. So Isaac walked hand in hand with his father Abraham up the mountain to go and offer a lamb as sacrifice to their Elohim. Imagine how sad Abraham must have felt slowly climbing to the top of the mountain with his only son whom YHVH gave him and Sarah in their old age, to now have to sacrifice him to YHVH his Elohim. It took three days for Abraham’s party to arrive at the top of the mountain. We read the account from Genesis 22: 5 – 8, in this way: ‘And Abraham said to his young men (the servants who came with them), “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you.” (6) And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked together. (7) And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (8) And Abraham said, “Elohim will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. (The Revised Standard Version more correctly reads: “Elohim will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”) So the two of them walked on together.’ This is the first clue of how the rest of the account will play out, but it also tells us about the great faith that father Abraham had in Elohim. Abraham absolutely believed; that whatever happens, Elohim will provide.

Upon reaching the required location, Abraham laid down his gear and started building the altar for the sacrifice. Next he laid out wood and then took hold of Isaac and began binding him on the altar. After binding his son, Abraham in obedience to YHVH raised the knife to kill his only son Isaac. However, as he was about to slay his son an angel of YHVH called to him from heaven, as we read from Genesis 22: 11 & 12, saying: “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (12) And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear Elohim, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” At that point Abraham passed his greatest test of faith in YHVH, as Rav Shaul aptly explains in Romans 4: 16 & 17, as follows: ‘For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law (meaning our Jewish Brothers), but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (17) (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even Elohim, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.’ It is faith of this magnitude that inspired Rav Shaul to write that Abraham is the father of the faithful, as witnessed in verse 18 – 22, in this way: ‘In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, ”SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” (19) And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; (20) yet, with respect to the promise of Elohim, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to Elohim, (21) and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. (22) Therefore also IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’

Abraham’s bond with YHVH our Elohim was so close that YHVH referred to him as His friend, as witnessed in Isaiah 41: 8, as follows: “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend.” The reason why YHVH called Abraham His friend is because of the personal relationship which Abraham had with Him; the fact that Abraham never argued, but immediately did as he was told by YHVH. Yahshua similarly view those of us who obey His commands, as His friends in John 15: 14 & 15, saying: “You are My friends, if you do what I command you. (15) No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Faith is a prerequisite to pleasing Elohim as witnessed in Hebrews 11: 6, in this way: ‘And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to Elohim must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.’ We read further from Hebrews 11: 8 – 10 and 17 – 19, as follows: ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. (9) By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; (10) for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is Elohim. (17) By Faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; (18) it was he to whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.” (19) He considered that Elohim is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type (of Yahshua).’ Finally, to conclude we need to consider Abraham’s faith from these three perspectives, namely:

1. Abraham’s calling: In Genesis 12: 1 – 4, we read: ‘Now YHVH said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; (2) and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; (3) and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (4) So Abram went forth as YHVH had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.’ Abram did not argue with YHVH or try to find an excuse to stay with his family, but obeyed YHVH and left immediately. Abram’s faith is to be understood in relation to his obedience. His immediate obedience proved his faith and as a result it justified him, as Rav Yaa’cov (James) wrote in James 2: 22 – 23, in this way: ‘You see that faith was working with his (Abram before his name was changed to Abraham) works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; (23) and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED ELOHIM, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of Elohim.’ Hebrews 11: 8 informs us that Abraham went out to obey Elohim, without knowing where he was going. It is important for us whom YHVH has called at this time, to be first fruits among His creatures as witnessed in James 1: 18[1], to understand that if Abraham lived by sight and not by faith, he would never have obeyed Elohim’s call to go into a foreign land. Similarly after our calling we have to rely totally on YHVH and His word, since at that time we are also not 100% sure of our destination.

2. Abraham’s obedience: Abraham’s obedience is obvious in his sojourning; he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob (Hebrews 11: 9). Most of us prefer to have a permanent stable home to live in, but like Abraham we should be aware that our citizenship is reserved in a city not build by human hands and that this life is only temporary.

3. Abraham’s unconditional faith: Elohim tested Abraham’s unconditional faith by requiring him to offer up the only son through whom YHVH promised to start the nation of Israel, as a sacrifice to Him. Abraham obeyed YHVH without any reservation and as a result Elohim blessed his descendants both spiritually and physically, as we read from Genesis 22: 15 - 18 , as follows: ‘Then the angel of YHVH called to Abraham a second time from heaven, (16) and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares YHVH, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, (17) indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. (18) And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” It is important for us to realize that Abraham and Sarah had Isaac at a very old age and it was a tremendous blessing for them to have a child beyond childbearing age. When YHVH commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac he must have realized that this could be his last opportunity to ever have children. However, he remembered that YHVH promised him that he would multiply him exceedingly, so Abraham believed that Elohim is able to raise Isaac up again, even if he should kill him. We see that Abraham called the name of that place, ‘YHVH WILL PROVIDE’ (YHVH Yirah).

YHVH requires those whom He calls during this lifetime, to like Abraham believe in both the resurrection of the dead and the coming Kingdom of Elohim. We need to recall Rav Yaa’cov’s teaching in James 2: 17, in this way: ‘Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.’ Works that result from obedience, prove our faith. If we like Abraham believe that Elohim exists and that He rewards those who seek Him, we will be rewarded for translating our faith into works of righteousness; i.e. doing Torah. Do we like Abraham believe that YHVH will provide? Soon our Master and Savior will return to establish the kingdom of Elohim in Jerusalem. If we remain faithful He will reward us, as He promised in Matthew 24: 44 - 47, as follows: ‘For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (45) Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? (46) Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. (47) Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.’ Amein and Amein!

[1] James 1: 18, ‘In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.’