The Answer Is In The Yoke part 3

Yoke – Yeshua quotes Jeremiah 6:16

Jeremiah 6:16 
HEB: בָ֔הּ וּמִצְא֥וּ מַרְגּ֖וֹעַ לְנַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ
NAS: in it; And you will find rest for your souls.
KJV: therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
INT: is and walk will find rest your souls said

in this famous passage.

In Matt 11:29 Jesus bids his hearers to take his yoke upon them: “and you will find rest [anapausin] for your souls.”

and ye shall find rest unto your souls;
referring to (Jeremiah 6:16 ) and which shows the rest he speaks of in the preceding verse, to be not a physical, but a spiritual one; and which is to be enjoyed in, though not for the observance of Messiah’s commands; whose ways are ways of pleasantness, and all whose paths are peace.

The saying refers to the Hebrew, where the Lord speaks through his prophet: walk in (the good way), and find rest (nirgw`) for your souls; and not to the Septuagint, which renders the passage: and you will find purification [hagnismon] for your souls.

 mar·gō·w·a‘ — 1 Occurrence מַרְגּ֖וֹעַ

This context should help us understand the key words rest and yoke, in the passage in Jeremiah, there is no mention of a yoke.  So why look for a Tanakh context to Yeshua’s choice of the word ol  /yoke? 

The beliefs and cultural philosophy of the listeners will supply the answer

When we think of the yoke of Jesus/Yeshua, Most of us probably think about the law of love first, but what is that? Are we of the opinion that this yoke is how to live a morally upright life, with acts of grace and good behavior.  Due to cultural differences, it is probably not likely that those listening at that time would have had any of these thoughts; simply because to them the connection between Jeremiah and a yoke only meant one thing, Torah.

In Jeremiah, it is God/YHVH who speaks first.  He says,

Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths; where the good way is, and walk in it. 

What are the ancient paths? 

What is the good way? 

God/YHVH can only mean His instructions found in His Torah. 

After we have found the ancient paths and walked in them, then

you will find rest for your souls.

Although the Lord warned Jeremiah that the people would not listen to his words; neither remember their covenant with God nor return to the old ways of righteousness, this weeping prophet was faithful to his calling..

“Thus says the LORD”, he declared, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths… where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls”. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

The covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was for the benefit of the nation. The Law of Moses and God’s promises to David were given to direct the nation towards the road of righteousness and the path to peace, where they would find rest for their soul. However, they preferred the pagan practices of the surrounding nations and refused to return to the Mosaic Law, which was fundamental to right living.

God’s word is sovereign and the ancient paths, were tried and tested. They secured God’s blessings for His people and promised rest for their soul – while disobedience dictated devastation, destruction and deportation from their promised land. But the people would not walk in God’s ways and their deliberate disobedience caused Him to marvel at His rebellious people.

Although it is easy to find fault with Judah’s rebellious ways and be critical of their attitude, we should be prepared to learn from their failure and consider our ways to see if we obeying the instructions that we have received and are waking in spirit and truth.. we also need to examine if we have chosen to walk in His righteous way and fulfill His instructions to the Ecclesia.

Have we walked in the ‘old ways’, that stand on the word of truth and lead us in the way of righteousness, or have we bought into a watered-down doctrine and a compromised faith through adopting worldly philosophies or engaging in fleshly behavior. Have we dishonored our Lord through unbelief or disobedience?

We are not called to walk the same ancient path to which Israel was called, because we have a renewed covenant built on better fulfilled, promises. However, we are required to be faithful to our calling; to walk in spirit and truth as outlined in the word of God – to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and to mature in the faith that we have been taught.

May we take our responsibility as blood-bought children of God seriously and die to self; live for Jesus/Yeshua and be prepared to say:

Thy will be done in my life – not mine.

But what of the yoke?

For interest purposes:

The Mishnah and the Midrashim call it the

Shema kabbalath ‘ol malkhuth shamayim,

taking on oneself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The above quote is included because in those days, every Jew who said the Shema 3x daily would have known what yoke Yeshua/Jesus spoke about.  It was the same yoke God/YHVH gave His people, the same yoke God/YHVH encouraged His people to renew in the prophecy of Jeremiah, the same yoke that governed the life of Yeshua/Jesus. 

The difference, and it is a very big one, is that Jesus/Yeshua calls this

HIS yoke. 

No one except God/YHVH ever made that claim but this man is claiming that God/YHVH’s yoke is the same as His yoke.  Even Messiah agreed there never has been nor ever will be any greater instruction for life than Torah; so what did He mean?

The listeners understood and we must too that this was not a new commandment.; it was a prophetic call that echoed Jeremiah whose message was the same for the same nation at a different time of rebellion.

Come back to the ancient paths. 

Walk in the ancient ways. 

Take the yoke of the Kingdom of the Heavens upon yourself. 

When we follow Jesus/Yeshua in learned obedience and all who do will discover that His burden brings rest/ true shalom…

My peace I give to you…

When Jesus/Yeshua invites us to take His yoke, He is not offering unrestrained liberty.  He is offering spiritual constraint; constraint that instructs us in a way of life delivered from the opposite of shalom/peace which is rooted in RA/dis-ease and everything contrary such as fear, anxiety and confusion. The Greek word zygos has another meaning that heightens His invitation.  Zygos also means scales.  (Balance and judgment again and links to previous posts.)

The word is found in Revelation 6:5 and Leviticus 26:26. The horseman of judgment comes with scales in his hand.  He will weigh the deeds of men. 

What standard are they weighed by?  The rabbis and Jesus/Yeshua tell us that the standard for these scales is the yoke of the law (Torah), a wordplay in Greek!

Is it possible that the translator of Jesus/Yeshua’s words in Matthew’s Greek translation had this wordplay in mind? 

When we read,

Take my yoke upon you,

do we also see,

Take my scales upon you? 

Do we make the connection between yoke and law? 

It would be hard to read the Greek translation of Yeshua’s Hebrew without doing so.

We read the verse with the same Greek mindset/eyes of Plato and Aristotle and miss the meaning and connection to Jeremiah.  We suppose Jesus/ Yeshua is offering assistance, forgiveness and restoration, without obligation, at least to others, and we want rest, not duty. 

Because of this mindset we convert zygos into something akin to removing all my burdens because we want our kind of peace, which is often freedom from everyone else. 

Zygos as scales is not able to provide such false freedom because all of Torah is about obligation, both to God and to others, because The Law is a way of living in the world system, among those who inhabit the same time and place. 

For us to take on Jesus/Yeshua’s zygos, we take on the standard which the third horseman brings.  

There can be no rest without scales just as without chains there is no peace.

It seems that the Hebrew concept of a yoke is almost always negative and on the surface, and it is because the Hebrews had a long history of yoked captivity and tyranny, so they viewed yokes as a symbol of that, plus oppression. Because of this experience it would be inconceivable, to suggest that people would willingly take a yoke upon themselves, that is, except in one instance.  This instance was due to the fact that the rabbis taught that voluntarily accepting the yoke of Torah was an experience of freedom, not of slavery and servitude. 

Adding this background to the Matthew scripture; we read Jesus/ Yeshua declares instructions for living with regard to His divinely given authority saying He is the only mediator of truth. Telling us to willingly accept His yoke, the yoke of His halacha. 

So what is that yoke of His halacha? 

הֲלָכָה

The term used to refer to Jewish law, 

halacha, Halakhah (also spelled halachah

means  go or walk

The root of the Hebrew word halakhah is usually translated as Jewish Law, although a more literal (and more appropriate) translation might be

the path that one walks.

Halacha, then, is the way a Jew is directed to behave in every aspect of life, encompassing civil, criminal and religious law.

The word is derived from the Hebrew root 

Hei-Lamed-Kaf,

meaning to go, to walk or to travel.

The only positive reference found in His own cultural setting claims that the yoke is Torah, so Jesus/Yeshua takes the teaching of the rabbis and takes it one step further yet building on the popular and familiar. 

He calls His followers once again to return to Torah, as did Jeremiah, this is the only teaching that releases us from the slavery of this worlds system.

It becomes clear just how powerful this verse is, but why did Jesus/ Yeshua use the yoke as a picture?

What He is saying repeatedly is

Return unto Me. 

Come back to My direction and be freed from the cares of the world and this life.

Lose your life in this world and gain My Chaim.

From Messiahs teaching we understand that the entire goal of spiritual life is to express His compassion.  The good news of the kingdom of the heavens is not merely the gospel in me but it also requires the gospel from me.

It combines a taking in and giving out and in learning from Jesus/Yeshua it will always mean that as His disciple our behavior will change. Believe and do – believe always means action in Hebrew thought.

The purpose of learning becomes clear as the Hebrew context is applied because

to this end, the purpose of learning is alignment with the heart of God which

means practicing/doing compassion.  

Whoever seeks his own welfare ahead of others is considered uneducated and scripture warns that destruction is the end of that pathway. 

Jesus/Yeshua is the example, He was the completely free man,

the paradox being that He was also bound!

This is because He was bound entirely to the will of the Father, and compassionately gave Himself up for others. 

“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

Yeshua/Jesus establishes in this verse, that learning from Him is the most important activity anyone can do. Everything necessary to live as God intended can be found in His words and deeds/actions. So to know what life is about, go to Jesus/Yeshua.

Matthew 28:18

All power (ἐξιυσία) is given (ἐδόθη, was given) unto me in heaven and in earth.

Jesus/Yeshua here asserts that He, as Son of man, has received from the Father supreme authority in heaven and earth, over the whole kingdom of God in its fullest extent.

in Hebrew, the conceptual thought behind learning is very practical.  It’s simply obedience to God with the deliberate and purposeful submission of ones will.  It’s an attitude that desires to please the Lord in every action and in all we do. 

In the Tanakh, this attitude is described in the most practical of terms: walking. 

It’s a Walk – the WAY

הֲלָכָה

Halakhah

From the L of OL the lamed

More than anything else, lamad has the meaning of  knowing what is right and doing it. 

For the Hebrew, there is only simple obedience.  Being as the simplicity of a child without any secret information or sophisticated knowledge.

While we are here on earth we must understand that the purpose of all learning is so we can become perfectly in sync. with the Fathers will.

To hear Him say, Well done, good and faithful servant, means we have graduated from God’s training school.

We need to understand that in Hebraic culture, all Jewish authority is based on past inheritance and birthright. Any educated man came with an ancestry of past masters. Jesus/Yeshua’s teaching caused shock, suspicion and skepticism..

When He invited others to follow Him, meaning to be taught by Him, they were infuriated.

The religious leaders were enraged and it appeared to them that He was an implausible boaster, because only a fool would expect others to follow a man without a pedigree that they recognized.

Matthew’s words, 

mathete ap’ emou, learn from me,

make it clear that Jesus/Yeshua claimed primary authority, an authority that did not depend on a prior history of teachers, an authority that came straight from God.

No wonder some Jews were beside themselves.

To learn from Jesus/Yeshua is simply to see what He does and do likewise.  It’s observing the Ways of Jesus/Yeshua both in His actions and words, not just focusing on His inner motivation or intention and it makes sense. 

We can’t see someone’s intentions or motivations, however we can certainly see behavior.  So Jesus/Yeshua says,

Watch Me, and do as I do.

In other words, we don’t have to have Jesus/ Yeshua’s scriptual excellence or intelligent insight…. 

we simply have to copy Him.

This is the reference to being as a little child! Children emulate their parents and caregivers and learn to do by watching and copying what they see and hear. It would be too difficult if the only way that I could enter into rest was to have all the same mental, emotional and intentional capacity of Jesus/Yeshua.  It would be hopeless for us to even try, as we can never become exactly like Him.  However, if entering into His rest, simply means copying what He does, then we all have a chance. 

We can do what Jesus/Yeshua does because He was/is fully human, just like we are.  Because of this we can pray to the Father, minister to the sick, worship on the Sabbath, spend time mentoring and comforting, ask the Father for guidance, listen to instructions and carry out commands. We can do all these things, especially since Jesus/Yeshua promises to help pull the load as we are yoked with Him.

He is our living model for the lifestyle and behavior that will produce rest…His rest.

If we really believe that the only way to find this refreshing work is to emulate Jesus/ Yeshua, then the most important thing is for us to see His actions clearly and we have to sift through what we think we know in order to see how He really behaved. 

Just like the circumstances that we face we have to understand how He responded to a wide variety of situations, for example, we have to know what He did when faced with accusation, betrayal, rejection, demands, loss, fear and temptation as well as the positive times of victory, validation, joy, comfort and friendship.  If we don’t know what Jesus/Yeshua did, then we can’t know what is the rest He offers.

Most of us think we can find our own way to the Promised Land, but we end up slaves in Egypt. 

If we want the rest He offers, we will have to do what He does.

It’s not impossible but it certainly demands change.

Nonetheless, yokes are used throughout the world for different things.  Some for plowing fields, some for pulling carts, and

from looking at pictures, it is clear that when two animals are unequally yoked it creates a big problem.

The animals that are yoked together should be about the same size, shape, etc. to get the ultimate pulling effect because if one is smaller than the other, it defeats the whole purpose of yoking them together equally.

However, Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ promises us that His yoke is easy in Matthew 11:28-30.  Surely it is preferable to be yoked to Him and have Him help us pull lifes’ daily burdens than do it on our own. 

It is not easy doing it on our own.  Yet sometimes His followers think that Jesus/Yeshua’s promise to, give rest to the weary, is like some quick fix that will remove hardship from life without any effort on the part of the individual.

The promise of rest or contentment that comes from Yeshua/Jesus brings a reminder with it, and that is, there’s work involved in finding the peace of mind which He promises.

To reach the place of rest, we’ve got to walk with Jesus/Yeshua at our side and let Him share the load, but at the same time, not expecting to be relieved of the necessity of work or of the sacrifice of the cross which we are to take up daily.

Remember, Jesus/Yeshua couples His promise of relief with the command, Take up my yoke and follow me. The promise of rest is coupled with the instruction to carry a yoke and be humble in accepting God’s way, not our way.

His yoke, the cross of this life’s suffering, the cross of sacrificing ourselves for the sake of those in need isn’t too heavy to carry because Jesus/Yeshua, already carried it for us. Jesus/Yeshua promises those who voluntarily yoke themselves to Him that, His strength will be there to get us through anything that comes our way. This is the rest, the peace of mind and heart He promises.

Fulfilling the Torah was the task of a first century rabbi.

The technical term for interpreting the Scripture so it would be obeyed correctly was, fulfill.

To interpret Scripture incorrectly so it would not be obeyed as God intended was to destroy the Torah.

Yeshua/Jesus uses these terms to describe His task as well (Matt. 5:17-19).

To recap: the original pictograph for this letter is a picture of an ox head – representing strength and power from the work performed by the animal. This pictograph also represents a chief or other leader. When two oxen are yoked together for pulling a wagon or plow, one is the older and more experienced one who leads the other. Within the clan, tribe or family the chief or father is seen as the elder who is yoked to the others as the leader and teacher.

The Way of the cross is the WAY of His blood

and the WAY of mercies.

Why?

Because the blood of Messiah cries mercy for us from the Mercy seat of the ark in heaven, where His blood is alive and will be for eternity. It is not human blood but God’s blood so it has supernatural eternal properties.

Let us make sure we never have to see the writing on the wall that when weighed in the balance we are not found empty.

If the day of reckoning has come to us today let’s be sure that we are filled with His spirit and unable to withhold the Shavuot/ Pentecostal fire in our bones.

That is the fire of God coursing through our veins and just as potent today as when they were emboldened with that fire they were baptized and immersed in. They could not contain themselves and could not keep the fire within.

Our God is a consuming fire, cleaning up and burning away all that impeded them from fulfilling His will and call on their lives.

The life is in the blood, when we have His fire in our bones, think on where blood is made… in the marrow of our bones.

The fire of God was shut up in Jeremiah’s bones, possibly a reference to the place and origin of new blood being formed?

The life in the blood, the fire and life of God imbued in Jeremiah is now available to everyone. We are without excuse, our bones can be filled with His fire and life too.

Holy fire, holy life in our bones will ensure we never see the writing on the wall.

For by being fire filled we will not be found empty/ wanting.

This is truly being on fire for God and the scales of balance can also refer to the yoke.

The yoke with which we are yoked to Him. His yoke is easy and light because He carries the burden of the weight of our sin.

Be yoked to His mercies, where the blood is eternally crying for us. The seat of mercy the kapporet on top of the ark of His covenant/presence in heaven.

And how are we to be filled with Him?

The answer is simply total surrender. That is accepting Jesus/Yeshua’s yoke.

He said it was easy because… let’s remind ourselves again just how a yoke works:

There has to be two of the same animal to be together in one yoke.

One is older, and more mature with a lot of experience and a natural leader.

The second simply follows the first and the yoke does not press or chaff because as they flow together the folder taking the strain and bearing the greater burden, leaving the second one with an easier workload. This is the relationship He desires to have with us.

the Book of Amos is also a picture of Messiah as the burden bearer. The Wilderness Mishkan began the plan from the Betrothal Covenant given through Moses and at the cross it was…

Jeremiah was not able to withhold the word of the Lord because

the fire of God externally consumes the flesh in judgment and internally cleanses within.

Jeremiah declares the fire was in his bones; at the point of life, the life is in the blood and the blood is made in the marrow of the bones.

Just as the fire of the burning bush and the fire that led them in the wilderness, and the fire that was present on the Mercy seat, did not consume or destroy that which is around it. But it cleanses that which it touches, making it holy, this is holy fire.

The finger that wrote on the wall was an agent of judgment. He was empty, devoid of any holiness, he was without the lifes/chaim of God. He showed no respect and on that day all he thought he was and had, was taken away in a moment of time.

How can we find the peace of mind and heart, His true shalom, that we seek in the here and now?…

by cooperating with the work Jesus/Yeshua has already done, allow Him to help us by carry our burdens and trusting in His ability to both challenge and change us as we walk in the path of self-sacrifice; yoked together with Jesus/Yeshua and finding that God’s mercies have truly made us a new creature, one that will last for eternity!

The season of Passover and Spring Appointed Times is the season of true freedom where Jesus/Yeshua broke the yoke once and for all.

Shalom, shalom, mishpachah!

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It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Receive His Nechamah!

In order to gain the precious insight in His Nechama, we have to journey back to the beginning;

Beresheet, בְּרֵאשִׁית

where Genesis 5 will reveal some

pearls of great price

and connect us to today,

and to each one of His children.

(Nechama also spelled Nechamah).

Click link below for more on Edenhttps://www.minimannamoments.com/back-to-the-future-past/

When Jesus/Yeshua referred to the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings; (Tanakh), 

it was to remind us of the prophetic declarations being fulfilled from the scriptures.

The reason we need to dig out the treasures of His Nechama is because of the days in which we are living.

Why specifically?

Because His Nechama is what we will need more and more as this age comes to its prophetic and timely conclusion.

So what is nechama/ nechamah

(sometimes written with a letter h at the end of the word).

Nechama is the Hebrew word for comfort,

but what does it have to do with the Genesis 5 and Noah?

The days that will signify Messiah’s imminent return are coined in the phrase: as in the days of Noah.

In Jesus/Yeshuas own words, He was answering questions that His disciples asked regarding the things that would happen in the future; and of what signs they should take notice.

 “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-revealing-a-conclusion/

The entire passage from Matthew 24:15-31 is the specific answer to the disciples of the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. Also found in Mark 13 and Luke 21.

There are many of those signs happening and as Jesus answered: 

“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

With the climactic sign being the second coming and the glory that attends it, and will fulfill the prophecy of Acts 1:11 that Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, will return as He went up into heaven.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-revealing-a-conclusion/

We are 2000+ years on from His statement. Many subsequent generations have wondered if these words would be fulfilled in their lifetime with unsettling world events and world wars taking place etc etc.. However there are certain markers that are mentioned in scripture that have since happened, which had not occurred in previous millennia.

The most obvious and significant was for Israel in 1948 and again When Israel gained East Jerusalem in 1967.

Jesus indicated that this generation (the one that sees all these events occurring together/simultaneously,) will not pass until all these things are fulfilled.

Matt. 24:34; Luke 21:32

These are without doubt, uncertain times, in that suddenly there can be serious weather related events which take the form of catastrophic storms, of one type or another. Also nations rising against nation in conflict, pestilences, plagues of different things, insects and virus outbreaks…. However all these things must come to pass and by His words of caution and warning, we are to take COMFORT that He knows about all these events and is in ultimate control of all of the outcomes.

So many times He says to us

FEAR NOT..

DO NOT BE AFRAID..

WHY??

because He said for I have overcome the world and we can rely on His covenant promises of Genesis 9:15

Be not afraid when news breaks of things that may certainly have serious repercussions around the globe.

Because Matthew 24:25

Behold, I have told you beforehand – That is, I have forewarned you.

This is encouraging so we will know and,

He has told us before they happen.

Stand firm in faith and don’t be moved by what we hear or see but hold fast to the truth we know and trust.

Let faith rise in our hearts and keep scripture on our lips and know beyond any doubt that the loving arms are underneath us and we are safe in that secret place of the most high.

And remember He has our 6!

We have His promises which are always yes and amen and here are some of those promises for us to meditate upon …

Spiritual preparation is the most important preparation we can do

and have

and rely on.

Knowing the Father

through Jesus/Yeshua,

and being filled with His Holy Spirit;

and by keeping ourselves filled with His Word,

faith comes,

and His love is spread abroad in our hearts.

Romans 5:5. 5:5 Hope shameth us not – That is, gives us the highest glorying. We glory in this our hope, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts – The divine conviction of God’s love to us, and that love to God which is both the earnest and the beginning of heaven.

 

This is the love that casts out ALL fear. 1John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

Hebrews 2:14-16 (NASB) 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD: my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Always remember [L Do not let depart from your mouth] what is written in the Book of the ·Teachings [Law]. ·Study [Meditate on] it day and night to be ·sure [careful; diligent] to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be ·wise [prudent; successful] and ·successful [prosperous].

His promise to us is:

I will not leave you comfortless John 14:18

Just as He brought COMFORT to the repentant thief on the cross beside Him with the promise…. return to EDEN!

 

So He is the source of

nechamah – comfort.

He promised: I will send the comforter-

who is Gods’ Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh.

This is how Jesus/Yeshua can say that He is with us, even to the end of the age.

This confirms that COMFORT and us being comforted is very important to Him.

We live in days of uncertainty and there are those with needs that are both physical and spiritual in nature. Our Father knows what we need is to be comforted.

We know who has our back/6 and now we know from where our

nechamah – comfort comes.

Not from people, or food, or drink.

not from any other source, 

John 4:32

I have food and drink you know not of…

but we do know now because we have it too.

 

Comfort in Hebrew is

נֶחָמָה

ne•cha•ma/nechamah

and it can also mean consolation.

Strong’s Hebrew: 5165. נֶחָמַת (nechamah) — comfort

The word ne•cha•mah is very unique.

Comprising the letters: Nun Chet Mem Hey.

If we break its letters down, there are two overlapping words: 

no•ach (comfortable and resting) and

cham or cha•ma (warm).

Ne•cha•mah is an offer of rest and easement to a troubled, suffering soul.

Comfort is gained through warmth and restful conditions.

Who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

As a noun, ne•cha•mah appears only in the New Testament:

‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;’

2 Corinthians 1:3

There are many other verb references of comfort and consolation in both the Old and New Testaments.

Two of the Books of the Old Testament are about ne•cha•ma – The Book of Nehemiah which means: ‘God is my comfort,’ and the Book of the prophet Nachum whose name means comfort and consolation.

Capernaum (or Kapernaum), an ancient settlement on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Hebrew name of the site: Kfar Nahum, which means the Village of Nahum.

Click link for more:https://www.minimannamoments.com/tag/capernaum/

Ne•cha•ma/h is the focus of the prophets Nahum and Isaiah who wrote in chapter 40:1-2 ‘na•cha•moo, na•cha•mu ami.’ Which means: be comforted, be comforted, my people.

Comfort my people, comfort them, says your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her fighting is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.’

Isaiah 40:1-2

עַמִּ֑י נַחֲמ֥וּ נַחֲמ֥וּ

Na•cha•mu na•cha•mu ami yo•mar Elo•hey•chem. Dab•ru al-lev Yeru•sha•láyim ve•kir•oo e•lé•ha ki mal•ah tze•va•áh ki nir•tza avo•na.

He is also our Shepherd..

A shepherd knows when His sheep need comfort, assurance and kind words.

The Bible is God’s written Word and offers us just what we need.

The items that make the news headlines are often less than comforting and we would do well to listen less to the talking heads and rather absorb encouragement from the source of all comfort. 2Cor. 1:3.

Here are some reminders that we have a savior who is cognizant of all our weaknesses and all the human emotions that accompany every aspect of our earthly existence.

Jesus/Yeshua, is our sympathetic High Priest/Kohen HaGadol, who had to be made like his brothers in every way(Hebrews 2:17) and who shared in [our] humanity” (Hebrews 2:14), He is intimately acquainted with the devastating effects of our human feelings/emotions. He is also able to come to our aid to help and give hope/tikvah that can lift us out of the deepest pit.

King James Bible
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

The God of All Comfort
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God andFather of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.…

Berean Study Bible
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

The fact that He is the God of all comfort, teaches us that, all comfort ultimately comes from Him. He is our source of peace/shalom and happiness and blessing.

Let’s ask Him to bring His Nechamah to our lifes/chaim and situations.  

God is the source of all good comfort.

Let Him comfort you.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 

Paul refers to Him as the God of all comfort.

To comfort means: to soothe someone who is in distress or who is sorrowing. This is done by easing their misery or grief and bringing them consolation and rest.

Ou Father certainly does this. 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.

The comfortnechamah, of the Lord is a combination of

Mercy and Grace…

and is also referred to in Ex.33:13-14

We have also seen in previous posts:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/back-to-the-future-past-part-2-plus-who-was-eating-bread-on-day-6/

that Grace

is a place…

Chet/Chen is represented by the fence and describes a protected garden (Eden), private place, an inner room or a sanctuary…

This is a place/makem of comfort/nechamah!

It’s like a womb/racham – hidden away and safe where shalom/peace is complete in the Mem/waters of life/Chaim..

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-season-of-our-hiding/.  

and so is Racham! 

Remember everything is connected!

And what about the connection to Noah?…. And the times we are living in?

Noah was named by his father Lamech and his name comes from the Hebrew verb

nu’ach (נוּחַ), meaning to rest.

Lamech said, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.”

(Gen. 5:29).

NOAH – COMFORT

Comfort, נַחֲמ֥וּ (na·ḥă·mū) Verb –

Piel – Imperative – masculine plural

Strong’s Hebrew 5162: 1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted. 

Strong’s Hebrew: 5162. נָחַם (nacham)  comfort

Another Hebrew word that seems to be connected to the name and gives the concepts of consolation and rest is: to rest – לָנוּחַ

(The first letter lamed here, means the word: TO.)

Strong’s Hebrew: 5117. נ֫וּחַ (nuach) — to rest

לָנוּחַ   lanuach

There are several kinds of rest referred to in the Book of Hebrews. The first rest mentioned is the rest the first generation of Israelites failed to enter, namely entrance into the Promised Land and rest from its enemies (Hebrews 3:11). Then there was the rest to which the psalmist referred in Psalm 95 that was available in his time (today).

  1. nuach

nuach: to rest

Original Word: נוּחַ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nuach
Phonetic Spelling: (noo’-akh)
Definition: to rest

  1. nuach or noach

nuach or noach: rested, 

Original Word: נוּחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nuach or noach
Phonetic Spelling: (noo’-akh)
Definition: rested,

  1. Noach

Noach: “rest,” patriarch who survived the flood

Original Word: נֹחַ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Noach
Phonetic Spelling: (no’-akh)
Definition: “rest”, patriarch who survived the flood

Noah. The same as nuwach; rest; Noach, the patriarch of the flood — Noah. nuach or noach ►. Strong’s Concordance. nuach or noach: rested,.
Original Word: נוּחַ Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

 

Noah prepared for 100 years (a generation?); then entered his ark/box of Grace, with his family, providing salvation for them from the judgment of God that came upon the earth.

They were kept safe in the place of grace/ark/covenant and then began a new life in an earth cleansed from sin. Fulfilling his fathers words This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.


It is a picture of Jesus/Yeshua who is our ark of grace and when we enter into Him we receive salvation from the judgment of God that will come again on the earth according to the scriptures.

 

We enter in to the comfort and the place of rest and peace He is our Sar Shalom. The renewed covenant that He has made with those who receive Him fulfilling His fathers words through the angel in Matthew 1:21

She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from [a]failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God]. Amplified Bible.

and

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Isaiah also spoke of the rest as well as the comfort.

Isaiah 28:12 
HEB: אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם זֹ֤את הַמְּנוּחָה֙ הָנִ֣יחוּ לֶֽעָיֵ֔ף
NAS: to them, Here is rest, give rest
KJV: To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest 

 

This comfort is not simply a feeling or an emotion of the soul and a means to feeling better….

It’s place of total covering/immersion/enveloped/hidden/nestled under wings in that secret place returning us to the genesis and its eden, the state and place of original grace in the beginning. And it is the promise contained in Noahs’ name, which precious promises we have obtained now, through and under Jesus/Yeshuas’ blood. Where His provision is completed and all our waste places are comforted in His presence/ throne of grace; and where His tender mercies are new every morning.

WOW! What a Father we have!

What an unequalled God we serve, worship and adore!  

We have a God of comfort/ and peace/shalom to help us in our time of need, Who is Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh, Who is also called the comforter and is living inside born-again believers.

..see previous posts and the connection to Eden.

Don’t hold back any longer, let’s simply give God all that is in our hearts, because nothing in this world can compare with that which He imparts reciprocally to us; so that in turn, we can comfort others.

When those whom God places in our lives are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has shown and imparted to us.

Jesus/Yeshua is our ark of salvation and as in the days of Noah/Comfort we must enter into Him into comfort, into salvation, into His place of nechamah. As righteousness judges sin, we must not procrastinate any longer, for just as in the days of Noah, the day came when God shut the door – the dalet – and there was no longer a WAY into the place of Grace the ark of covenant and its’ nechmahah. 

Jesus/Yeshua, is the door, the dalet, and one day the door will close and He will knock no longer.

Opportunity to enter into noah/rest – nahamah – comfort of salvation will not be available.

The times of the gentiles/heathens will be fulfilled, completed.

Share this understanding of comfort with all you can and let not that day come upon you as a thief/unawares.

 

In connection with the description of God as the God of all comfort, is the statement that He is the Father of Mercies.

Mercy is the outward manifestation of compassion for others in their affliction. Mercy had its origin with God, calling Him its’ Father. All acts of pity and compassion proceed from Him.

And mercy is Racham –

mercies/Rachamim is the plural.

click below for more revealed secrets of the scriptures: https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-season-of-our-hiding/

Scriptures for The God of comfort. 

Isaiah 51:3The LORD will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins.Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.

Psalm 23:4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

2 Corinthians 1:5 For the more we suffer for Christ,the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

Isaiah 40:1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.

Romans 15:4-5 For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus,

Isaiah 51:12 “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone!

Yeshua/Jesus weeps over our sorrows.

John 11:33-36 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Psalm 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

 click link below for more:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/keeping-it-all-bottled-up-part-1/

Praying for comfort.

Psalm 119:76-77 Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant. Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your instructions are my delight.

Psalm 119:81-82 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?”

Isaiah 58:9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

God comforts us in our trials so we can comfort others.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

2 Corinthians 1:6-7 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Listen to these songs and let the ruach of comfort-nechamah, minister to our hearts as we worship Him and long for His return to catch us, His Bride, away!

 

Can you hear His footsteps?…He’s Coming… Hallelujah!

EVEN SO….

Be comforted Mishpachah/Family!

Final thought on the concepts behind the pictographs for

nechama/nechamah:

Nun: sprout, new life, seed, fish, continue, increase.

Chet: His dwelling place – HaMishkan, Ark, He is the guardian of the passageway, the process of entry, wall, protect, fence, divide, separation.

Mem: water that washes clean and chaos as in storms.

Hey: look, behold or pay attention to reveal to make known. Breath or sigh as in awe!

Put together it could be said of Nechamah/Comfort:

A separation will be followed by entry through the guardian of the WAY into the protection from the chaos of the storm/deluge, look in awe to the process of entry into new life which will continue.

Noah comfort and rest.

The rest we enter into will be fulfilled in the Millenial reign of Yeshua Messiah as we enter His Rest – His Shalom – the Sabbath rest of the 7th day 1000 years. The time of shalom/peace and comfort.

So the best part of the days of Noah is his comfort/ nechamah and the forthcoming new beginning, new start,

Behold I make all thing new! Isaiah 43:18; Rev 21:5.

I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Rev. 21:1

As we are returning to Eden too –

that’s why Messiah said:

today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43.

For today is the day of salvation!

Get into the ark/Jesus/Yeshua, because He is not only the Word, He IS our ARK, we must get into Him for our salvation.

Shalom, shalom, mishpachah!

You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.

Fear not, simply rest in Him and be comforted!

Stay alert, prepared and be ready!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts and for all your kind and encouraging comments. Please continue to share with others, like and subscribe for notifications of new postings.  It all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with the blessing of His Truths that always point us to Our Heavenly Father, Through Jesus/Yeshua by the power of His Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh.

Share His comfort to those going through times of testing and trouble…be an encourager of hearts! 

As always, a very warm welcome to each and every subscriber/follower/visitor, both old and new; and remember that the post is best viewed on the Homepage site in full color!

Please don’t leave this page without the knowing in your heart you are totally His.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Midweek Mannabite – A Time For Everything

Matthew 1:23

They shall called His Name Emmanuel.

Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:35

Hallelujah’s fill the air.

A star leads the way.

A Mother’s tired sigh,

And a baby soft cry

Shepherds kneel and wise men bow

And the heavenly host sing,

For in the Bethlehem manger

Is the newborn King.

Thank God He came…

©1gratefulheart.

 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lambs-tale-and-a-mysterious-tower/

Luke 2:10, 11

https://www.minimannamoments.com/because-he-came/

This story would have ended at Malachi in The Bible if Messiah Jesus/Yeshua had not come.

May our hearts and prayers reach out to the ends of the earth, to those who have no ‘Christmas day’, in that they have no good news of the Savior King.

Nehemiah 8:10

“Send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared”.

He was born INTO this world not FROM it.

He did not emerge OUT of history.

He came INTO history FROM the outside.

He is not man BECOMING God, He is God incarnate BECOMING INTO human flesh FROM OUTSIDE it.

He must also COME INTO us from OUTSIDE. Galatians 4:19

All lives must become a

Bethlehem for God’s Son –

A house of bread..

we must be born again. John 3:7

For all those who are tired and weary at this time, or those who are alone during this season. Be encouraged and know that He sees you and loves you very much.

Consider 1Kings 19:7

For this is what He did for His tired servant.

The journey is too great for thee and I am going to refresh you.

He gave him something good to eat and put him to sleep.

Elijah had done an amazing thing but it has been too much for his physical strength; and then the inevitable result became clear and he became depressed.

Every human being has a physical need to be cared for and what many people want and need is a good nights sleep, plus whatever else ails them physically needs to be attended to.

Throughout the generations many have ended up under the Juniper tree!

Here is where it is very soothing to hear the words of Jesus.

The journey is too great for you and I am going to refresh you.

He also told His disciples to..

Come apart and rest awhile. Mark 6:31

Here we must remember not to confuse physical weariness with spiritual weakness.

There comes a time when we need to recharge our batteries…

Be encouraged while reading the following lines:

When we are too tired to trust and too tired to pray and our over taxed strength gives way, the thought comes to mind, just drop it all and rest.

Then we wonder if God will forgive us if we go right to sleep just as a baby does, without asking if we may and without even trying to trust and pray.

We should remember that before we could even talk those raising us did not deny us needed rest and did not refuse to cradle us while we slept.

Those watching over us were quick to see what we needed and to make provision for our natural necessities and to guard us and keep us safe.

It’s okay to just drop it all and give up to rest – Our Heavenly Father knows all about it and we just need to go to sleep as a baby does.

He knows when His child is too tired to pray and does not judge us alone by the prayers we say, because He knows our innermost heart.

  1. He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” 

He knows when we do pray and He knows when we do trust and He knows the limits of our human bodies. This was evident in the garden when He told His disciples to take their rest, while He took upon Himself the burden that no one else could bear.

Then he cometh to his disciples, and saith to them: Sleep ye now and take your rest. Matthew 26:45

If we are saved then we have given our life up to Him to keep, so we don’t need to be afraid to go right to sleep.

Ps 37:7 Rest in the LORD because rest allows our mind, body, and soul to renew and then continue with even more strength and focus. 

Psalm 27

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Is 40:29 The LORD gives strength to those who are weary. 

He strengthens those who are weak and tired. He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. He’s the one who gives might to the faint, renewing strength for the powerless.

Rest in the Lord.

He knows you are facing challenges.

He’s just waiting for you to run to Him. The Savior understands.

In fact, as the word of God says in Hebrews 4:15, He is touched by the feeling of our infirmities. The Lord empathizes with you. You are not alone.

Just be quiet and confident in Him, be anxious for nothing and cast all your cares upon Him.

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety. 

And I shall lie down and sleep, because you, Lord Jehovah, make me dwell alone in stillness.

I fall asleep in peace the moment I lie down because you alone, O LORD, enable me to live securely.

Shalom – peace and rest to all family and friends!

Let the love of Our Heavenly Father sustain and encompass us as we learn to rest in Him and He will give us strength.

Please Don’t leave this page until you are certain He is the giver of your rest. 

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.