227 You shall love YHVH your Elohim

You shall love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and all your soul.

All Jews, including those of us from the lost sheep of the house of Israel whom YHVH is busy calling out of the religions of the world to return to the covenant He made with our forefathers at Mount Sinai, through Yahshua our Messiah are commanded to love YHVH the Elohim of Israel with all our heart (meaning your belief system) and all our soul (or the way you live your lives) and all our might. Although these are strait forward instructions; most non-Jewish believers do not fully understand what it means to love YHVH with everything they have? Even though most people in the western world are aware of the exodus of the nation of Israel consisting of 13 tribes that Moses lead out of exile in Egypt, they are totally unaware of the fact that YHVH chose the nation of Israel to become a model nation to Him, to show the rest of the nations of the world how serving and obeying Him leads to a peaceful, abundant, happy life.

According to the Scriptures, fifty days after leading the nation of Israel out of Egypt by the hand of Moses, YHVH entered into an everlasting covenant with the nation of Israel to be their Elohim and to provide and protect them like a husband would for his wife, provided they remain loyal to Him and lives by His Torah teachings. These teachings included commandments, statutes and judgments specifying in detail how YHVH wanted them to serve and obey Him, but also how to live peacefully with fellow Israelites. Similar with the law of gravity, Elohim’s Torah teachings are part of the laws of cause and effect that YHVH put into effect from the beginning, ensuring that the Israelites who keep the commandments are blessed, but those who transgress these commandments are cursed. We also know that only the house of Judah remained loyal to YHVH, but after the house of Israel were captured by the Assyrians and taken north-west into Europe, where they eventually lost their language, culture and faith and became Christianized and remain so until today. Not many today understand that a large part of the prophecies in the Scriptures were never written for the ancient nation of Israel, but is about the people and nations alive today. We are also able to see from many of the prophecies in the Scriptures where the house of Israel will reside before Messiah’s return and the future exodus back to the Promised Land, picturing them in captivity and slavery. Speaking first of ancient Israel, YHVH says in Ezekiel 20: 10 – 12, “So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. (11) And I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live. (12) And also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am YHVH who sanctifies them.” Nevertheless we read from verses 21 - 24 of Ezekiel 20: “But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. (22) But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. (23) Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, (24) because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers.” Therefore, we see according to verse 23 that YHVH scattered ancient Israel in national captivity and slavery. Instead of becoming the model nation that YHVH wanted them to be, ancient Israel became trapped in the worship practices of the pagan nations around them.

Even though the house of Judah remained loyal to YHVH ever since they entered into the original covenant with Him, there are some returnees from the house of Israel who assert that a large percentage of the house of Judah are descended from Esau. But, from the facts recorded in the Scriptures, we know that the Jews remained an identifiable group of people because they are still, after 3500 years keeping Elohim’s Sabbaths (annual and weekly) and as a sign of the covenant with Abraham still circumcising their sons at eight days old. So, we see from the evidence before us, that this assertion is absolutely false and totally ridiculous. Similar to our fathers in the faith Abraham, Isaac and Jacob our Jewish Brothers expressed their love for YHVH the Elohim of Israel, by being obedient to all His commandments without question. Whereas most people who claim faith in the Messiah have been taught that He did away with His Father’s strict commandments and have no idea what His main purpose was for coming to earth the first time, despite a number of prophecies giving us exact details about it, such as for example Isaiah 49: 5 & 6, in this way: ‘And now says YHVH, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (for I am honored in the sight of YHVH, and My Elohim is My strength). (6) He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”’ This is also totally in agreement with the promise that YHVH made with Abraham, namely that he and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob will inherit the Promised Land eternally, provided they remain loyal to Him and as the sign of the covenant circumcise their sons at the age of eight days old. Fortunately, the promise also included that a remnant of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, whom YHVH scattered into the world because of idolatry, will be able to return to the covenant that YHVH made with Abraham, through Abraham’s one seed Yahshua, through whom He will also save the rest of mankind after Messiah’s millennial rule.

Belief it or not, this is what the house of Judah always believed about the Messiah who will bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back when He comes to rule the commonwealth of Israel as the kingdom of Elohim on earth. In fact it is part of the thirteen principles of faith of the house of Judah, confirming what was prophesied in the Tanach and recorded by Maimonides an influential Torah scholar during the middle ages, as follows: ‘Moshiach will restore the kingdom of David to its glory of old, to its original sovereignty. He will build the Holy Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel. In his times, all laws [of the Torah] will be reinstated as before; the sacrifices will be offered, and the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year will be instituted…’ An additional witness to this comes from the second part of the Shema in Deuteronomy 11: 20 & 21 which returnees and all Jews recite twice a day, stressing that obedience of Elohim’s Torah, will be rewarded with eternal life, as follows: “And you shall write them (the commandments) on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, (20) so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which YHVH swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.” Yahshua also revealed the main purpose for His first advent when He was asked by the Canaanite woman to heal her demon-possessed daughter in Matthew 15: 24, saying: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” However, these facts have been hidden from even Elohim’s people until today as YHVH told the prophet Daniel in Daniel 12: 4, saying: ‘But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.’

The prophet Malachi prophesied about a latter day person or group who will come in the spirit of Elijah who will teach their children and new believers to return to the Torah of Moses, but also to the faith of our fathers in the faith in Malachi 4: 4 – 6, saying: “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. (5) Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of YHVH. (6) And he will restore the hearts (faith) of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” As Messiah’s latter day disciples the commandments that He gave His original disciples remain applicable to us. It is our duty to teach new believers including our children to return to the renewed covenant our forefathers made with Elohim at Horeb. It is our duty as trail blazers and returnees to ensure that we rekindle the faith and love our people once had for YHVH. We need to understand that Elohim created all Israel to have a loving and caring relationship with Him; similar to that of a parent and his/her children. Knowing this makes it easy for us to understand, since we as parents expect our children to show their love for us, by obeying our teachings for their good. From this and the love between a married couples we know that love involves more than a warm feeling towards the person at which your affection is aimed? Love towards Elohim and our neighbor should be more than a feeling; it should be accompanied by action, such as for example doing what is pleasing in His sight. If we love somebody, we will spend time with him or her to get to know him or her better.

Rav Shaul shows us in Hebrews 2: 10 & 11 that according to Elohim’s plan of salvation for all mankind, He is presently busy bringing many sons to glory, so that eventually we can be of the same ‘family’, as follows: ‘For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. (11) For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.’ Even so, most of Churchianity believes this close relationship between Elohim and humankind to be wholly a ‘New Testament’ concept. The main reason for such thinking is that the world views love and obedience as two mutually exclusive ideas. However, we are aware that from the beginning YHVH the Elohim of Israel was only concerned with giving us what is good for us, as per Yahshua’s answer to the lawyer in Luke 10: 25 - 28, as follows: ‘And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (26) And He said to Him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” (27) And he answered and said, “YOU SHALL LOVE YHVH YOUR ELOHIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” (28) And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS, AND YOU WILL LIVE.”’ We see from the question asked by this lawyer, that eternal life was the issue or concern here. Presently mankind is busy learning a vital lesson that should become the foundation of their education. After the millennium rule of Messiah, when all who ever lived are resurrected to life again, during the Great White Throne Judgment period, they will get to understand that their wisdom resulting in great technological advancement, only caused social upheaval, misery and ultimately failure. Our Creator knows that we cannot live happily forever, unless we first learn that our own ways do not work. It is for this reason that He has called us out of the world to become followers of His way, the only way to eternal life and happiness. Because, each one of us is so self-willed that we are only interested in our own way of doing things, we must learn this lesson on our own. The point is, even though YHVH loves each one of us greatly, it does not mean we can continue for all eternity without learning the inevitable rejection that we have brought upon ourselves. In addition, whether we believe Elohim’s plan of salvation for all mankind, or not, we cannot circumvent it either, as it will happen despite of us.

Like it or not, each and every one of us must find our own way every day; we are required to make our own decisions every day, until we die or when Yahshua returns. As a result we will suffer because of the mistakes and sins of ourselves and others, the same way the other seven and a half billion inhabitants of the earth will have to. In this way YHVH is teaching us one all-encompassing lesson, namely; that life without Him only leads to death and misery. However, those who have come to know Him are learning just the opposite lesson; specifically what it is like to live with Him in their lives. It is as we read from 1 John 4: 4, in this way: ‘You are from Elohim, little children, and have overcome them (the spirits that are not from Elohim); because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.’ Only a few people in the world are aware that there are actually three different types of love. These types of love are best described in the Greek language, as follows: At the highest level is ‘Agape’ love: this is love for Elohim, it is a total giving love and means total commitment to YHVH – no matter what. We are not born with Agape love; it is acquired by maturity as we read from Romans 5: 5, in this way: ‘And hope does not disappoint, because the love of Elohim has been poured out within our hearts through the Set-apart Spirit who was given to us.’ We truly show Agape love towards our brethren, if we are doing everything in our power to teach them the truths that lead to salvation. Next we have ‘Phyla’ love: this is simply brotherly love, friendship and companionship. An example of brotherly love is given in John 15: 13, as follows ‘Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.’ Finally we have ‘Eros’ love, which is romantic love for someone of the opposite gender and needs no explanation. But, how does YHVH require us to demonstrate our love to Him? For the answer we need to turn to the Scriptures. Some believe that since we live in the so-called ‘New Testament era’, we are under grace and because of this dispensation of grace we are not obliged to keep or rather obey Elohim’s Torah any longer. They believe that we need not be worried about the food we eat, or on which day we rest. In fact, those who insist that we live under grace believe that we may do whatever we wish, as long as we believe and love G-d in our hearts. But, the Scriptures prove over and over again that loving Elohim and obeying His Torah are indisputably connected. In fact it is superbly summarized in Deuteronomy 10: 12 & 13, in this way: “And now, Israel, what does YHVH your Elohim require from you, but to fear (or revere) YHVH your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul, (13) and to keep (YHVH)’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” Yes, this tells us clearly that we show our love to Elohim by obeying His commandments, which He gave for our good. A second witness to this comes from Hosea 6: 6, as follows: ‘For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of Elohim rather than burnt offerings.’

Satan does not have the power to remove the defenses that Elohim has put in place for our protection. The only way that he is able to remove us from our protection is to get us to remove it ourselves. How does Satan get us to willingly destroy our defenses against him? Whilst Yahshua lived on earth, Satan came to Him to tempt Him by quoting scriptures - he tried tricking Yahshua by twisting and misusing scriptures. Today Satan still uses the same tactics; it is by this method that he gets Christians to believe that the Law or Torah was nailed to the cross of Calvary. The portion of the Scriptures used by Satan to get people to believe his lie, comes from Colossians 2: 14, in this way: ‘Having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us: and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.’ Reading this carefully, we understand that it is definitely not saying Torah was nailed to the cross; it is simply saying that the certificate of debt – the document listing our punishment due for breaking the commandments was nailed to the cross, when Messiah became a curse for us and was hanged on a tree, as Rav Shaul explained in Galatians 3: 13 & 14, saying: “Messiah redeemed us from the curse (or punishment) of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”—(14) in order that in Messiah Yahshua the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles (those members of the house of Israel who came to believe they are Gentiles), so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit (or source to eternal life) through faith.” An example of this is when someone paid a traffic fine received for breaking a traffic law, for us. In this way the benevolent person redeemed us from having to pay the traffic ticket, but in doing so he/she does not abolish the traffic law prohibiting speeding in a built-up area.

There are many scriptures showing that obedience to Elohim’s Torah or teachings places us within His protection, one of which is recorded in Deuteronomy 28: 1 – 14, as follows: “Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey YHVW your Elohim, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, YHVH your Elohim will set you high above all the nations of the earth. (2) And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey YHVH your Elohim. (3) Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. (4) Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. (5) Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (6) Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (7) YHVH will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way and shall flee before you seven ways. (8) YHVH will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which YHVH your Elohim gives you. (9) YHVH will establish you as a holy (set-apart) people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you will keep the commandments of YHVH your Elohim, and walk in His ways. (10) So all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the Name of YHVH; and they shall be afraid of you. (11) And YHVH will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which YHVH swore to your fathers to give you. (12) YHVH will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (13) And YHVH shall make you the head and not the tail, and you only shall be above, and you shall not be underneath, if you will listen to the commandments of YHVH your Elohim, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, (14) and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

The first 14 verses of Deuteronomy 28, spell out the blessings that we reap for obeying YHVH our Elohim. However, from verse 15 to the end of Deuteronomy 28, we read about the curses that will befall us if we do not obey Elohim’s Torah. The information contained in these verses is exactly what is happening in the world right now, but people are presently so deceived by Satan and his human agents, that they do not even know what sin is. We read about some of the curses meted out to us the modern day Israelites from verses 58 – 61 of Deuteronomy: “If you are not careful to observe all the words of this Law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, YHVH your Elohim, (59) then YHVH will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. (60) And He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. (61) Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, YHVH will bring on you until you are destroyed.” It is true that Yahshua redeemed us from the curse or judgment of the Law. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that this is talking about the curses due to us because of past sins, before our Father called us out of the false religions of the world and we did not understand that sin is the transgression of the Law and therefore the opposite of Torah. If we continue to sin habitually after coming to the knowledge of truth, these curses mentioned in Torah will continue to influence our lives negatively – something that even those of us teaching others, sometimes have to learn! From this it is abundantly clear that keeping (YHVH)’s commandments are for our benefit. Those who teach against obedience of Torah are in fact getting us to curse ourselves and our children, as Yahshua taught in Matthew 5: 17 – 19, saying: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law (Torah) or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. (18) For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. (19) Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Yahshua specifically said that those who keep and teach the commandments of Elohim will be called great in the coming Kingdom, whilst those who teach the opposite will be called the least.

If we therefore consider the tremendous benefits to be had by obeying Torah, it should be easy for us to see the sinister motive behind the idea that Torah is abolished. Who would have this motive for removing the Law, the wall of our protection that leads to eternal life from Elohim’s people? Who has a vested interest in keeping the majority of the people in the world defenseless against his onslaughts? It is Satan himself, since it gives him the edge to have the wall of our defense removed from us. We know that he is cunning and desires to destroy the souls of all human beings, but especially those of us returning to the covenant with Elohim. Not only is our protective wall removed, but rejecting the Torah of Moses, which is a transcript of Elohim’s glory, Satan has caused his prey, to offend their Heavenly Protector, so that they may step out of the realm of Elohim’s blessings. Fellow believers, we need to understand that we are engaged in a spiritual battle, the outcome of which can only be determined by ourselves, with the help of Elohim. It is time we heed the warning by Rav Kepha in first Peter 5: 8, in this way: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We are further warned in Deuteronomy 13: 1 – 4 about false prophets, as follows: “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, (2) and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ (3) you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for YHVH your Elohim is testing you to find out if you love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul. (4) You shall follow YHVH your Elohim and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.” YHVH is a great teacher, teaching all of mankind two vital lessons: firstly that His kingdom is coming, whether we believe it, or not. Secondly, that we cannot live without His Torah teachings in our lives, as explained in Deuteronomy 8: 3, in this way: “And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of YHVH.”

In addition to teaching us these vitally important lessons, YHVH also expects that once we have learnt what Yahshua and those who went before us taught us, that we should teach new believers, as we read from Matthew 28: 18 – 20, in this way: ‘And Yahshua came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority 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.”’ We are told here, that eventually, after we have been suitably trained, it is incumbent upon us to also immerse new believers and to teach them the things that we have learnt from Yahshua, through His discipleship program. In addition we are told clearly in Isaiah 62: 6 that as Nazarene Israelites we are watchmen and should declare to the people of Elohim, their transgressions and to Jacob their sins as per Isaiah 58: 1. Those who teach that contrary to Yahshua who is merciful, YHVH is only interested in strict adherence to His Torah are wrong. Throughout the Scriptures we are told that YHVH is a merciful Father and has forgiven our past sins, as is also recorded in Psalm 103: 2 – 4 & 12 &13, as follows: ‘Bless YHVH, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. (2) Bless YHVH, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; (3) Who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; (4) who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion. (12) As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (13) Just as a father has compassion on his children, so YHVH has compassion on those who fear Him.’ If Yahshua is truly the embodiment of Torah, the word through whom YHVH created the universe, why will He contradict His own teachings by saying that Torah is abolished? It was for this reason that Yahshua told the Pharisees in John 10: 30, saying: “I and the Father are one.”

We read a prophecy about what is happening in the Israelite countries today and is encouraged to see that eventually YHVH will intervene for those who are prepared to answer His call to return to the covenant relationship with Him in Ezekiel 36: 17 - 28 in this way: “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. (18) Therefore, I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. (19) Also I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. (20) When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said to them, ‘These are the people of YHVH; yet they have come out of His land.’ (21) But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. (22) Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Adonai Elohim, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. (23) And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am YHVH,” declares Adonai Elohim, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. (24) For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. (25) Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. (26) Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (28) And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your Elohim.”

Whilst we know that this prophecy has not occurred yet, let us as the first among the returnees continue to teach new believers and our children the Law of Moses and to return to the faith of our fathers in the faith. We have a daunting task ahead as our people have been deceived for more than 1800 years and it is very difficult to have any influence on a stiff-necked hard hearted people who will only learn after the great tribulation has started, when fear for their very lives will force them to seek YHVH on His terms. That is when most will love or rather fear YHVH enough to obey His Torah fully. Think about it!