Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

You shall not put YHVH your Elohim to the Test.

After Yahshua our Messiah was immersed in the Jordan by Yochanan the Immerser, He was led about by the Set-apart Spirit in the wilderness for forty days. Immediately after forty days of fasting He was tempted by the devil and one of the three ways in which He was tempted at that time was when Satan led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, as witnessed in Luke 4: 9 -12 saying: “If You are the Son of Elohim, throw yourself down from here; (10) for it is written, ‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,’ (11) and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” (12) And Yahshua answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU YHALL NOT PUT YHVH YOUR ELOHIM TO THE TEST.’” Satan being very cunning quoted from Psalm 91: 12 to try and tempt Yahshua, but being the embodiment of Torah Yahshua answered him, by quoting another most relevant portion from the Torah (Deuteronomy 6: 16).

What is important to note in this discussion is that Yahshua did not dispute the fact that the present world and all its riches belongs to Satan and it was for this reason that Yahshua in conformance with His main purpose to bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant they made with YHVH their Elohim together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, told the multitudes in verse 43 of Luke 4, saying: “I must preach the kingdom of Elohim to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” This is in agreement with many prophecies in the Tanach confirming the good news about the coming kingdom of Elohim when the Tabernacle of David will be reestablished and David will rule over the commonwealth of Israel at Messiah’s return in the near future, as also witnessed in Isaiah 11; 10 – 12, as follows: ‘Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place (the kingdom of Elohim  in the Promised Land) will be glorious. (11) Then it will happen on that day that YHVH will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the island (or coastlands) of the sea. (12) And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.’ This is encouraging news, but to get back to the topic of discussion, we need to determine what Yahshua meant when He said to Satan, “You shall not put YHVH your Elohim to the test.”        

Most of us with children know that there comes a time in the life of most children, where they want to test the limits of their parent’s patience with their mischievous behavior. Yes, they, like us sometimes push their luck to determine what they can get away with in life. The problem with such behavior is that it is just the opposite of character building – it slowly but surely deteriorates from bad to worse, until ultimately we have reached the situation discussed in Hosea 4 & 5, where YHVH tells us that He will reject us from being priests in His coming kingdom, since we are not interested in studying His word to determine how He wants us to live for our good. We need to be ever mindful that YHVH talks to us through His word as the author of Hebrews 1: 1 & 2 wrote saying: ‘Elohim, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.’ It is therefore important for us as returnees from the lost ten tribes, to remain in touch with what Yahshua the word of Elohim taught in the Scriptures to ensure that we do not starve spiritually. Even though our world appears to be very religious, it is almost the same as in Rav Shaul’s time when He was in Athens, since most of the people including the Israelites who became Christianized in Europe did not care much to obey Elohim and His Torah. We read about Rav Shaul’s  experience in Greece from Acts 17: 16 – 25, as follows: ‘Now while Shaul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols. (17) So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the Elohim-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. (18) And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. And some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Yahshua and the resurrection. (19) And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? (20) For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; we want to know therefore what these things mean." (21) (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.) (22) And Shaul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. (23) For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN ELOHIM.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. (24) The Elohim who made the world and all things in it, since He is YHVH of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; (25) neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things.”’ This is very similar to most cities in the western world where people believe in keeping non-scriptural feast days like Easter, Xmas and Halloween during which some get drunk and indulge in gross immorality still claiming to do it for C*h*r*i*s*t*.

But despite these ‘religious’ activities and the fact that Hosea wrote his prophecy thousands of years ago, he prophesied about our world at this time when he wrote in Hosea 4: 1 & 2, saying: ‘Listen to the word of YHVH, O sons of Israel, for YHVH has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of Elohim in the land. (2) There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.’ Cursing and violence have mushroomed out of control – it is like sheep that broke out of a sheepfold; even though they are free, they are unprotected and the neighborhood is in danger. We have forgotten (YHVH)’s purpose for all Israel to become part of His family and ultimately build character like His. We should concentrate on faithfulness, truth, stability and certainty that builds-up lasting faithfulness; kindness or mercy – treating others the way you want them to treat you; and knowledge of Elohim (transliterated as ‘Yadah’ in Hebrew – meaning to know intimately) - if we know Elohim intimately, we will know what He requires of us and how He wants us to treat others. These three elements are inseparable; we cannot say we know YHVH if we treat other people unfaithfully. If any of these are lacking, YHVH has a case against us, especially if we think of ourselves as being ‘religious’. The point is: we cannot be faithful to Elohim if our main focus is faithfulness to anything else, as Yahshua put it in Matthew 6: 24, saying: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve Elohim and mammon (riches).” That is why the house of Israel could not come back together in one generation, since we were and are to an extent still loyal to conflicting causes. YHVH is mercifully offering to ‘settle out of court’, but we are required to enter and seal the contract before He will dismiss the case; we need to repent and return to full Torah observance and mean it, before we will be acceptable to Him. Instead we have been duped into believing that Xmas and Easter are the time when families have to get together and when we are supposed to share gifts with the underprivileged in society. Like puppets on a string most people simply follow wherever they are led, without ever questioning anything. Why do we always have to do good deeds under the guise of paganism, why can’t we do it on a regular basis? It is a known fact that because of extra traveling forced upon people because they have to take leave during these times, more people die on roads than at any other time. Instead of bringing families together, more divorces occur because of these so-called religious festivities during which time more alcoholic beverages are consumed than at any other time.

To emphasize the seriousness of the problem, I find it necessary to relate how a few years ago my wife and I went to the movies during the silly season to get away from the happenings in the complex where we live and to see a show which we thought to be about court cases and legal matters, entitled: ‘The Councilor’. However, it was the worst movie we ever saw, filled with sex and violence that left us sick to the stomach - long after the show was over. It was a story based on accounts that play out daily between the drug lords of Mexico and greedy people in mainly America and the UK, who could not care less about how and who their actions affect, but ultimately pay with their lives. I could not understand why I had to go through an experience like that, but after reading the book of Hosea, I realized that this was a story about everyday life in our sin filled world today.  Most of the actors and actresses wore crucifixes and even though they all appeared religious, some were responsible for the most horrifying murders possible, without worrying in the least about it. The only person who showed any remorse was ‘the Councilor’; and when he wanted to get out of the situation, he was so entangled in what was happening because of shear greed, that he could not do anything about it.  Similarly the things happening in our world is very scary and I pray that those of us called out of the religious systems of the world and our loved ones, never get involved in things like that. Continuing in verse 3 of Hosea 4, Hosea wrote: ‘Therefore the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes (deteriorates) along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky; and also the fish of the sea disappear.’  We are often told that the beast of the field, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea are disappearing, because mankind over-fish and pollute everything we touch, but we are given the real reason, for the modern day ills of our world in verse 4, as follows: ‘Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; for your people are like those who contend with the priest.’ There are no one who any longer points out the problems in society. Everything is acceptable and nothing is judged any longer. People say: ‘The scribe shall not teach, and the prophets shall not admonish’ and as a result people argue with their teachers. They cannot teach, because their students all think and believe that they know it all. These students prefer to listen to people who tell them of ways to save their physical lives, rather than those who teach Scriptural truths that will ensure their eternal life in the Kingdom of Elohim, even if they are killed for their beliefs. The words ‘contend with priests’ shows the presumptuous acts of those who argue about calendar matters, since the term priest here means an officiator or a person given the final say in the matters of interpretation of Torah as per Deuteronomy 17: 9 – 13.

As a result we read from verse 5: ‘So you will stumble by day, and the prophet also will stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother.’ This is talking about the mother, since mothers are responsible to teach children about YHVH before they become mature enough to be taught Torah by their fathers. However, we find that mothers today, perpetuate the lies of Xmas and Easter by teaching their children the same nonsensical rubbish their parents taught them. This is then also why YHVH says in verse 6: ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your Elohim, I also will forget your children.’ Brethren YHVH is calling each one of us out of the pagan religions of the world, to become kings and priests under Yahshua in His coming Kingdom. But most of the Israelite descendants living in nations like the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zeeland and South Africa will be destroyed during the coming great tribulation, because we do not know or even care what YHVH has planned for us. Even though the knowledge about YHVH and His plan of salvation has been available all along, we have rejected His Law (Torah), since we have been taught that it was done away with, by a false messiah. Unless, we come to realize our mistake, by starting to study Elohim’s word, we will eventually be rejected from being priests in His kingdom and our children might as a result also be lost.  This is rather a serious matter, since we are told in Isaiah 61: 6 – 9; ‘But you will be called the priests of YHVH; you will be spoken of as ministers of our Elohim. You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (7) Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs. (8) For I, YHVH, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (9) Then their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom YHVH has blessed.’ Are we truly so calloused that we do not care what happens to our children and grandchildren. I don’t believe we are so ignorant that we do not care about our offspring, but we need to understand that we have been stupefied by the ridiculous illogical things we have come to believe.

We read further from Hosea 4: 7 & 8; ‘The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. (8) They feed on the sin of My people, and direct their desire toward their iniquity.’  The priests, who are supposed to teach the people truth, have committed desecration by feeding on the sin offerings of Elohim’s people, in order to add sins to their own guilt. It is for this reason that YHVH says in verse 9: ‘And it will be, like people, like priest; so I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their deeds.’ What effects one part of the house of Israel, affects the whole nation. The same way as the priests desecrate Elohim’s holy sacrifices, so also does the layman; for that reason YHVH will profane their ‘glory’ and make what is precious contemptible. In the story of ‘the Councilor’ he buys his girlfriend a diamond ring in a million, but in the end when things started going wrong with the illegal activities that he got lured into, his girlfriend is kidnapped and his life falls to pieces. To a person who does not have much to do with what is happening in the world, this movie was a shocking eye opener to the realities happening right under our noses. If you believe that similar things are not happening in most Israelite cities around the world today, you are extremely naïve. But YHVH continues to tell us through the prophet Hosea in verse 10, saying: ‘And they will eat, but not have enough; they will  play the harlot, but not increase, because they have stopped giving heed to YHVH.’ Increase or having children is seldom the intent of adultery; and their pleasures will not satisfy their lust – because they do not obey the instructions of Torah and remain within the confines of their marriage vows. However, this also has to do with committing idolatry, which to YHVH is like adultery because of the vows we made with Him at immersion. If we continue to teach children to worship YHVH under the guise of paganism – putting up Xmas trees and the things pagans do to worship Him, against His instructions in Jeremiah 10: 1 - 5[1] and Leviticus 18: 3[2], He is definitely not pleased with us, even if we do it with the best of intentions. The point is: YHVH has recorded the way and also the times He wants us to worship Him in His word and He is not interested in how pagans worship their gods. If we do not make Him the only authority in our lives, then He is not interested in us at this time.

We read from verses 11 & 12, why people do not understand that what they doing during these pagan festivals are wrong, in this way: ‘Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away their understanding. (12) My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them; for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have played the harlot, departing from their Elohim.’ The side note against wooden idol gives as reference Isaiah 44: 19, as follows: ‘And no one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in fire, and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!”’ Without realizing it children fall down before the block of wood when they collect their Xmas presents which according to their belief a man in a red suit placed under the tree for them. Without knowing it these little children have learned to pay homage to a fictitious character and in many cases neglect to thank YHVH for all they have and are. YHVH does not want us and our children to seek council from wooden idols, even though we will vehemently deny that that is our intention with these inanimate objects we bring into our homes. After all, those who do so do it under the guise of worshipping YHVH. This is exactly what happened to ancient Israel when they were taken captive by the Assyrians, as witnessed in 2 Kings 17: 33 & 38 - 41, as follows: ‘They feared YHVH and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile. (38) “And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. (39) But YHVH your Elohim you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” (40) However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. (41) So while these nations feared YHVH, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.’

 

(YHVH)’s continues admonishing Israel in Hosea 4: 13, saying: ‘They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.’ Harlotry here means both harlotry and idolatry. The daughters mentioned here could be the daughters whom you have from the nations – also meaning your daughters- in-law and even your granddaughters. YHVH says in verse 14 that He will not punish the daughters of men who themselves go to harlots and offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes; but that the people without understanding are ruined in that way. Do you understand what this means? Or do you like most in the world carry on regardless? Continuing in verses 15 – 19, we read: ‘Though you, Israel, play the harlot, do not let Judah become guilty; also do not go to Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, and take the oath; “As YHVH Lives.!” (Gilgal is where the children of Israel observed their first Passover after 40 years of wondering in the wilderness. We see from Joshua 5: 9, ‘Then YHVH said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.’  YHVH does not want us to go to the places where we served Him, to worship our newly found idols. The meaning of Beth-aven is simply the house of vanity – a town east of Bethel. It is also important to notice the contrast between the house of Israel and the house of Judah.) (16) ‘Since Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer, can YHVH now pasture them like a lamb in a large field? (17) Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. (18) Their liquor gone, they play the harlot continually; their rulers dearly love shame. (19) The wind wraps them in its wings, and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices.’  Yes, in the end when it is literally too late to qualify to become kings and priests under Messiah, these people will be ashamed because of their sacrifices to idols. Chapter 5 of Hosea continues in the same manner. Without reading the entire chapter we see that even when Israel sees the results of the punishment she received because of her idolatry, she does not turn to YHVH, but we read from verses 13 & 14: ‘When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb. But he is unable to heal you, or to cure you of your wound.  (14) For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah, I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver.’  At this time both Israel and Judah will be turning to those (Assyria or Germany) who previously oppressed them, but they will not find any healing there. This was the same in the movie ‘The Councilor’; the person playing the part of the Councilor had no one to help him in the end – he was all alone and could not do anything to save the one he loved.  People, if we do not want to turn to YHVH and follow Him the way that He prescribes in His word, we are simply fooling ourselves – no matter how devoted we believe we are.

Believe you me, Yahshua will not return until those of us whom He has called to come out of the false religions of the world, follow Him fully. This is after all what He told us through Hosea in verse 15 of chapter 5, saying: ‘I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction (the coming great tribulation) they will earnestly seek Me.’ It is time that you and I realize that time is short and that we cannot play silly little games with YHVH any longer. We need to make sure that we start obeying all of Elohim’s Torah teachings applicable to us. We need to become fully aware of what we are doing and how we are living and make sure that everything we do conforms to Torah. Yes, we need to temper our animal instincts with Torah and make sure we do what YHVH require of us, as YHVH told Moses to tell the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 10: 12 & 13, saying: “And now, Israel, what does YHVH your Elohim require from you, but to fear 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?’ Those who do not want to follow YHVH the way He prescribes in His word, will if they survive through the coming great tribulation, join us realizing that if they don’t, they will simply be burned to ashes – since they knew what is right all along, but greed and the worries of the world kept them from committing to the way of Elohim in the past! Those who will not return are the ones Yahshua spoke about in Matthew 7: 22 & 23, saying: “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Master, Master, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name performed many miracles?’ (23) And then I will declare to them. ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” Whilst we are still waiting for the return of our Master and Savior, our deeds will either bless or curse us in accordance to the blessings and curses given in Deuteronomy 28, since YHVH has put in place a system of cause and effect. It is simply like the law of gravity – if you  jump off a tall building you will fall to your death, but, if you don’t it will not affect you.

In addition once we are called out of the Churches of the world and were immersed into Yahshua’s name, we should do everything in our power to grow in grace and knowledge by studying (YHVH)’s word regularly, attend Sabbath and the Feast Days on a regular basis, making sure we eat only kosher foods and produce the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5: 23 & 24, namely love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In addition we need to make sure we fellowship with like-minded believers by assembling together regularly for Sabbath services and Scripture study lessons, as we are admonished by Rav Shaul in Hebrews 10: 23 – 29, saying: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; (24) and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, (25) not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (26) For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. (28) Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. (29) How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of Elohim, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” This is very scary and is aimed at getting the half-timers and fence-sitters who attend services with us, but now and then move back and forth between us and their previous affiliations, to stop being double-minded. Instead we should follow Rav Shaul’s advice to the Colossians in Colossians 3: 1 – 10, saying: ‘If then you have been raised up with Messiah, keep seeking the things above, where Messiah is, seated at the right hand of Elohim. (2) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (3) For you have died and your life is hidden with Messiah in Elohim. (4) When Messiah, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (5) Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. (6) For it is on account of these things that the wrath of Elohim will come, (7) and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. (8) But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. (9) Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, (10) and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.’

We need to keep close to YHVH and His Torah teachings for us, similar to the five prudent virgins in Messiah’s parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25 who made sure that they had enough oil in their lamps, by regular Torah study when Messiah finally returns one day in the near future as we see recorded in verses 2 - 13, as follows: “And five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. (3) For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, (4) but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. (5) Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. (6) But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ (7) Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ (9) But the prudent answered saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ (10) And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. (11) And later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Master, master, open up for us.’ (12) But he answered and said, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ (13) Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” Once we are chosen by Elohim, we must refrain from testing the limits of the freedom He gives us, but live a well-balanced life watching ourselves to ensure that we continue to live and do everything according to His will, realizing that once our Master arrives He will only accept those who diligently served and obeyed Elohim the way He prescribed in His word! Think about It!

 

 

[1] Jeremiah 10: 1 – 5, ‘Hear the word which YHVH speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says YHVH, “Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens although the nations are terrified by them; for the customs of the peoples are delusion; because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They decorate it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.”’

[2] Leviticus 18: 3, ‘You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes.’