Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

How to study the Scriptures with understanding – part 1.

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1. Get guidance from a qualified teacher.

Even though keys and Scriptural aids are very useful when studying Elohim’s word, they cannot ever replace the guidance of a qualified teacher in our search for Scriptural truths. Yahshua our Messiah continued the teacher/discipleship program started by Moses when he taught Joshua in the congregation in the wilderness. The congregation of Elohim was not started at Pentecost in 31 CE as some assert, but was purely the renewal of the original discipleship program to ensure the continuation of His congregation of called out believers. The original congregation was started in the wilderness as witnessed in Acts 7: 37 & 38, in this way: “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.” Yahshua talking about this training program in Luke 6: 39 & 40, said:“A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (40) A pupil(disciple) is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.”

We know from the Scriptures that Messiah’s discipleship program lasted about 3 - 3½ years. Rav Shaul also spoke about getting to know YHVH and His ways in Romans 10: 13 & 14, saying: ‘For “WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF YHVH WILL BE SAVED.” (14) How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?’ Messiah distinctly said in Matthew 16: 18 that He will build His congregation and that the gates of Hades (the grave or death) shall not prevail against it (meaning that it will still exist) until He returns to earth. He instructed His disciples (and by implication also us His modern day disciples) in Matthew 28: 18 - 20, saying: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on the 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.” However, this should be understood in the context of what He said to His disciples in Matthew 10: 5 – 8, when He instructed them, saying:“Do not go the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; (6) but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (scattered throughout the world because of their idolatry). (7) And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”

The congregation of Elohim is presently made up of believers coming from mainly the lost-ten-tribes of Israel, called out of the religious systems of the world. It also includes gentiles from all over the world, because some of the Israelites whom YHVH calls are often spiritually too blind to see the truth, or too rebellious to change, that is when they lose their future crowns to gentiles.However, the people called from amongst the Gentiles should be mindful of the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22: 2 – 14, that they like any Israelite who answers Elohim’s call, should follow Him in the same way that He specified for Israelites. They need to put the correct wedding garments on by washing their robes in the word of Elohim, i.e. obey His Torah[1]. It is as Moses wrote in Numbers 15: 15, saying: ‘As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before YHVH.’ This as well as the fact that not only the dispersed of Israel will be gathered to YHVH is confirmed by Isaiah in Isaiah 56: 6 – 8, as follows: “Also the foreigners who join themselves to YHVH, to minister to Him, and to love the name of YHVH, to be His servants, everyone who keeps from profaning the Sabbath, and hold fast My covenant; (7) Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (8) YHVH Elohim, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, “Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.”’We all need to make sure that we have our wedding garments on at Messiah’s return, by continually washing our robes in the word. Brethren we currently have people in South Africa, the USA, the U K, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, India, Kenya, Lesotho, and elsewhere in Africa who have heed YHVH our Elohim’s call to come out of the false ways of the world, and to follow Him. They are our brethren and we should regularly pray for them.The Scriptures describe the congregation of Elohim as a group of people that He has called out of the religions of the world, to follow His way of life. By fellow shipping with these people, we can learn these spiritual truths spoken about in the Scriptures.

Elohim tells us through the writings of Rav Shaul in first Thessalonians 5: 19 – 22, ‘Do not quench the Spirit; (20) do not despise prophetic utterances. (21) But examine everything carefully; hold fast what is good; (22) abstain from every form of evil.’ Yes, each one of us has a role to play, but Elohim have provided faithful teachers to teach Elohim’s word without distorting it. This is why Rav Shaul instructed Titus saying in Titus 1: 5 – 9, ‘For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, (6) namely, if any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. (7) For the overseer must be above reproach as Elohim’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious (contentious), not found of sordid gain, (8) but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, (9) holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.’

Messiah predicted that deceivers would claim to represent Him, even using His name, saying in Matthew 7: 15 – 23, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (16) You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? (17) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.(19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) So then, you will know them by their fruits. (21) Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. (22) 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.’ A teacher must faithfully teach and obey Elohim’s laws. The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 8: 16 – 20, ‘Bind up the testimony[2], seal the law among the disciples. (The words ‘bind up’ and‘seal’ denote that we as disciples of truth need not add anything to the doctrines already specified in the Scriptures). (17) And I will wait for YHVH who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. (18) Behold, I and the children whom YHVH has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from YHVH of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. (the children of Israel who are doing what Elohim’s chosen people Judah is doing in Mount Zion[3].)(19) And when they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their Elohim? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? (20)To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn (or light[4]).’ That what we as disciples of the Word of Elohim is to believe have been established; we need not come up with any new doctrines or commandments, but believe in those already bound up and sealed in the word of Elohim.

The Scriptures describe the characteristics of the congregation that Elohim called out of the religions of the world, as follows: A little or small flock: Yahshua our Messiah referred to those who make up His congregation in Luke 12: 32, saying: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” He further referred to them in Matthew 7: 13 & 14 as those who follow a narrow, difficult way which not many in this world are willing to follow, saying: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. (14) For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” Rav Yaa’cov warned believers throughout the ages not to befriend the world and its values, saying in James 4: 4, ‘You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward Elohim? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.’  This clearly identifies Elohim’s people as not being part of the most populated religions of this world and brings us to point 2 of how to study the Scriptures.

1. Ask for Elohim’s Spiritual guidance.

Most students of the Scriptures understand that it is not a book that can be understood without guidance of Elohim. It is therefore important that we always ask that Elohim will open our minds to understand what we study in His word. Elohim defines the attitude and approach He expects from those who study His word in Isaiah 66: 2, saying: “For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being, but to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Once Elohim called a person, He is not concerned with the person’s nationality – since He looks on the heart, whether to give him understanding. Rav Kepha puts it as follows in Acts 10: 34 – 35, saying: “I most certainly understand now that Elohim is not one to show partiality, (35) but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.”Knowing the Oneness of Elohim is but one of the ways in which Yahshua identified those to whom YHVH reveals Himself in Luke 10: 21 – 24, saying: “I praise Thee, O Father, Master of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.  (22) All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”(23) And turning to the disciples, He said  privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, (24)for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hears, and did not hear them.”

It is clear from this that Elohim chooses those to whom He wills to reveal spiritual truths and understanding. Messiah also said to His disciples after His death and resurrection from the grave in Luke 24: 44 – 45, ““These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (45) Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.’It is not our intellect that let us understand the Scriptures, it is by Elohim’s help (or divine presence) that we understand the Scriptures. Most people overlook this vitally important fact when studying the Scriptures. Even if we are the cleverest people on the earth, if Elohim does not open our minds, the Word of Elohim will remain a closed book to us. It is as Rav Shaul explains in first Corinthians 2: 11 – 15, saying: ‘For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of Elohim no one knows except the Spirit of Elohim. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from Elohim, that we might know the things freely given to us by Elohim, (13) which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (14) But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of Elohim; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (15) But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.’Since Elohim inspired the Scriptures, it is not a book that takes only human intellect to understand it. Elohim reserves the right to give understanding of His truths to whomever He wills.This is why when YHVH calls us as first fruits out of the religions of the world, immersion is the very first step that we should take to obtain Elohim’s Spirit, to firstly show Him that we are serious about our calling and secondly to ensure our understanding of His spiritually appraised things better.

It is for this reason crucial for us to understand that our motivation for studying the Scriptures is important. If we feel we have to study the Scriptures as a religious duty, Elohim will not likely open the meaning of what we read in the Scriptures to our minds. But if we seek to understand Elohim’s word with all our being, He will reveal His truths to us as He promised in Deuteronomy 4: 29, saying: ‘But from there you will seek YHVH your Elohim, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart (your belief system) and all your soul (the way you live your life).’This is saying that we will find Elohim, if we put our faith into actions in our lives – obey Elohim’s law because we believe in Him and love Him. The reason why attitude is so important is as Rav Shaul wrote in first Corinthians 1: 26 – 29, saying: ‘For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; (27)but Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, (28) and the base things of the world and the despised, Elohim has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, (29)that no man should boast before Elohim.’No one will ever be able to boast that he was able to correctly understand Elohim’s spiritual truths with only his own intelligence and effort.

If we come humbly before YHVH our Elohim and ask Him for help and are committed to obey what He teaches us, we are on the right track, as Yahshua also explained in Matthew 18: 3 & 4, saying: “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.(4) Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”So, it has nothing to do with our intelligence, if we do not humble ourselves and become as teachable as a little child, Elohim will not help us to understand His word! Elohim promises those who humbly ask Him for wisdom and understanding, to give it to them, as Rav Yaa’cov wrote in James 1: 5, 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.’Throughout the Scriptures there are examples of individuals who humbly asked for wisdom from Elohim, and were rewarded. An example that most people are able to recall is that of Solomon, when YHVH gave him the opportunity to ask for whatever he wants, and Solomon asked for discernment as recorded in first Kings 3: 7 - 12, saying: “And now, O YHVH my Elohim, Thou hast made Thy servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. (8) And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people who cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. (9)So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine? (10)And it was pleasing in the sight of YHVH that Solomon had asked this thing. (11) And Elohim said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life,nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,’ (12) behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.”

On the other hand we also have examples of those who relied on their own ability and were consequently humiliated such as Cain, Pharaoh, King Saul, and Nebuchadnezzar. A very good example of an appropriate, humble approach to learning Scriptural truths is described in Acts 17: 10 – 12, 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 were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so(not, not so). (12) Many of them (Jews) therefore believed, along with a number of Greek women and men.’ Unlike others even today, the Bereans did not immediately reject what Rav Shaul was teaching. They carefully reviewed the Scriptures that he used in His teaching, with an open mind, to make sure that what he was teaching was in accordance with their own long-held beliefs.If we want to understand Scriptural truths we need to similar to the Bereans have a humble attitude willing to learn. We need to carefully review the Scriptures, not taking our beliefs for granted, because our own ideas could be wrong.

However, humility is not the only attribute required when we study Elohim’s word. The Scriptures clearly show that some who come to an understanding of certain basic revealed spiritual truths will lose that understanding because they do not act on what they learnt. By tacitly rejecting knowledge revealed by Elohim, they chose to put aside their humility and exalt their point of view. It is for this very reason that Hosea wrote in Hosea 4: 6, saying: ‘My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you form being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your Elohim. I also will forget your children.’So we see that it is not that knowledge is not available, but it is because they reject the knowledge given to them, by their actions – and even though YHVH called them to come out of the world, to become kings and priests, if they reject His truth He will ultimately reject them from being priests as He also rejected King Saul.

In Yahshua’s parable of the sower in Luke 8 showed why some will understand, whilst others will not, saying to His disciples in verses 10 - 15, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Elohim, but to the rest it is in parables, in order that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. (11) Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of Elohim. (12) And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. (13) And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. (14) And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. (15) And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”These words of Messiah are but some of the reasons people fail to grow in spiritual understanding. Most people do not persevere in Elohim’s word because of negligence and a lack of faith.

A prayerful humble attitude, seeking help from Elohim and His servants to understand His Scriptural truths, leads us to put into action what we have learnt. These are the initial two keys to understand and apply Elohim’s Torah truths in our lives. Another key to understanding Elohim’s word follows logically from these two first keys, namely:

1. Obedience to what we have learnt.

This key follows logically from the previous two keys, in that a right attitude leads to obedience of Elohim’s Torah. Rav Yaa’cov tells us that we should be ‘doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.’  He continues in James 1: 23 – 25 saying: “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.”  It is therefore important to understand, that once we have learnt something new from the Scriptures, we proof our faith by doing or applying what we’ve learnt in our lives, with a humble attitude.

If we refuse to accept the understanding that Elohim reveals to us, He will stop giving us more understanding, as explained previously in the principle given in Hosea 4: 6. We need to realize that for us to understand Elohim’s word, we must learn about and respect His Torah, as aptly explained in Psalm 111: 10, in this way: ‘The fear of YHVH is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.’Rav Shaul the person many people mistakenly claim to have done away with Torah, says in Romans 2: 13, ‘For not the hearers of the Law are just before Elohim, but the doers of the Law will be justified.’ If an individual read the Scriptures, merely to hear what it says, but do not do what it commands, such a person is not pleasing Elohim, and can therefore not expect His help. It is as we read from Proverbs 28: 9, where Solomon wrote: ‘He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.’ The word ‘listening’ as used here implies that you take to heart what you hear and apply it in your life.  Even though many believe that Yahshua the Messiah, came to do away with Torah He said just the opposite in the now familiar Matthew 5: 17 & 18, saying: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law 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.” In fact Yahshua continued teaching in verses 19 & 20 that Elohim’s commandments need to be kept better than what the scribes and the Pharisees are keeping it, saying: “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. (20) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Yahshua said to those who followed Him, but did not obey Elohim’s commandments in Matthew 7: 21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” Messiah expected His followers to have a deep respect for Elohim’s commandments, similar to the way in which He always obeyed them. Throughout His life on earth He upheld and taught Elohim’s commandments. Rav Kepha wrote to people who desire to retain Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit, in Acts 5: 32, saying: “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Set-apart Spirit, whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.” We are given a portion of Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit if we are immersed into Yahshua’s saving name, as per the instructions in the Scriptures. Yahshua Himself was immersed by a Rabbi (Torah teacher)[5]and He expects each and every one of us to be immersed by Torah teachers. However, deacons may also immerse new believers, but in such cases an elder (or Torah teacher) have to lay hands on the believer, in order for the believer to receive the Set-apart Spirit, as explained in Acts 8: 12 – 17, in this way: ‘But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of Elohim and the name of Yahshua Messiah, they were being immersed, men and women alike. (13) And even Simon himself believed; and after being immersed, he continued on with Philip; and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. (14) Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of Elohim they sent them Peter and John, (15) who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Set-apart Spirit. (16) For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been immersed in the name of the Master Yahshua. (17) Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Set-apart Spirit.’Faithful obedience is therefore another vitally important key, to understand Elohim’s word, the Scriptures.The remaining keys to understanding the Scriptures will be discussed in part 2 of this paper.

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[1]We wash our robes by keeping Elohim’s commandments as may be seen by comparing Revelation 22: 14 of the New American Standard Bible to the translation found in the King James version, as follows: NASB – ‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city’ : KJV – ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.’

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[2] Testimony: a solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving the same fact; such as for example the account (or history) of the first Passover, how YHVH went about to save the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The testimony of Yahshua is the account of His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension to heaven. But it also includes His purpose for coming to earth, as well as what He taught and did whilst He was on earth, but more importantly what He said He is coming to do at His return.

[3] Mount Zion refers specifically to Judah as David wrote in Psalm 78: 67 & 68, saying: ‘He also rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.’

[4]People who do not know Elohim, has no light in them, as witnessed in first John 1: 5, ‘And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that Elohim is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.’

[5]We read about Yochanan the immerser in John 3: 26, “And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He (meaning Yahshua) who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is immersing, and all are coming to Him.’”