Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Yea.
It’s a word we read but we may not stop to consider what it really means in the context of the sentence. On first glance, we may assume it is just a KJV, older word used in the modern English language for yes.
Think of other verses that have the word yea in them,
and insert
But better yet….
For example Psalm 23
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
But better yet….
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
It is a great encouragement to us but better yetmeans,
it is more to us than we thought at first.
We need this encouragement because n this world we will have tribulation:
In the worldyouhavetribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, John 16:33
These are words from Messiah, Himself, not only to those with Him at the time He said them; but to all His followers down through the ages.. With the warning comes hope and comfort, because He says
I will be with you even to the end of the age. Matt.28:20
Isaiah encourages us with this promise in chapter 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
And this promise is still in effect and true to us today.
We will all experience times of testing and trial, Peter tells us to think it not strange Beloved, concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 1Peter 4:12-13
We are told that, far from being strange and surprising in God’s plan, these fiery trials are “necessary.”
Instead he urges them tobe sober and to pray,1 Peter 4:7; and to help one another through the trials. 1 Peter 4:8–11.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire— may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
In Acts 14:22we are reminded that tests and trials are necessary.“Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”
This is a godly “must.” It’s the same word and the same concept as Peter says in
The fiery ordeal that is coming upon us to test us is not strange.
Why is it necessary? Its the question many ask, why do believers/christians suffer?
The answer is because it’s God’s refining judgment in our lives, working maturity in trust towards our Father, so that our faith may result in our Heavenly Father receiving praise, glory and honor. Whatever trials come our way, we should not be surprised, simply place our spirit/souls and bodies in the hands of our faithful Creator, and don’t be ashamed of Messiah and His gospel of the Kingdom,. Rejoice in hope, and fill our lives by planting good seeds, while walking obediently in His will and His ways.
The trials and testings of our faith reveal to us, where we are in our faith walk with the Lord. He already knows where we are.
Many of us will never experience true hardship or enduring circumstances that are unthinkable in a modern western society. Books like the Insanity of God and Fox’s book of Martyrs among countless others, reveal a faith in God beyond what many believers will ever have to show. And yet, we will all experience situations where we will be required to rely on our faith and trust implicitly in our Savior.
This is why there are so many verses of encouragement and promises of protection, assuring us that He is with us through every trial we face whatever they may be.
In Isaiah 41:10 for that is exactly what this verse is saying. When we face a real threat, God is telling us not to fear. Many times when we read the word fear, it is in reference to the fear of the Lord not as in terror or being afraid, but having reverential respect for Who God is.
In this verse the word for fear used here is a fear is for one’s own personal safety. The reason we need not fear is because God is with us – Emanuel.
He continues, saying, “Be not dismayed.”
In Hebrew, the worddismayedhere is
tisheta’
which has a Semitic root meaning
to be blind.
Be dismayed –
תִּשְׁתָּ֖ע tista
tisheta – tsht – tet sheen tet תִּשְׁתָּ֖
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance 8159
depart, be dim, be dismayed, look away, regard, have respect, spare, turn
A primitive root; to gaze at or about (properly, for help); by implication, to inspect, consider, compassionate, be nonplussed (as looking around in amazement) or bewildered -blind to- depart, be dim, be dismayed, look (away), regard, have respect, spare, turn.
If a person is really terrified, that fear causes an irrational reaction, and they are blind to what is actually happening, as their imagination runs wild about what is about to occur.
Here our Heavenly Father is reassuring us saying
“I am with you.”
In those days there were many gods being worshipped and demanding all kinds of sacrifices for favors, but not one of them was promising,
God will not only give us courage to enter this fight, but better yet, He has our backs/our six;
but even better than all of the previous promises,
He is upholding us.
The Hebrew 8851 word for
upholding istamar
I will uphold you
te·maḵ·tî·ḵā – תְּמַכְתִּ֖יךָ
This word in its root form means:
to take hold, hold fast,
or glue oneself to something.
Think of this, and visualize that our loving Heavenly Father not only gives us courage and protects our backs, but He will glue Himself to us, literally sticking with us!
Our confident assurance is that Father God is not only watching our back, but most importantly His presence isglued to us.
The more we stare at an overwhelming situation, our confidence in our reasoning quickly fades, However as we turn from it towards our Savior, it is quickly replaced by confidence in our Heavenly Father Who loves us.
Even if we don’t yet feel that we have all this courage and support, God promises that it will be there when we need it. Isaiah 41:10assures us of that. He will never be caught off guard because inPsalms 121:4: we are assured “Behold, he that keepth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”
Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
be afraid,
תִּשְׁתָּ֖ע (tiš·tā‘)
Verb – Qal – Imperfect – second person masculine singular Strong’s 8159: To gaze at, about, to inspect, consider, compassionate, be nonplussed, bewildered
for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction Strong’s 3588: A relative conjunction
I
אֲנִ֣י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun – first person common singular Strong’s 589: I
am your God.
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun – masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Strong’s 430: gods — the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative
I will strengthen you;
אִמַּצְתִּ֙יךָ֙ (’im·maṣ·tî·ḵā)
Verb – Piel – Perfect – first person common singular | second person masculine singular Strong’s 553: To be stout, strong, bold, alert
I will surely help you;
עֲזַרְתִּ֔יךָ (‘ă·zar·tî·ḵā)
Verb – Qal – Perfect – first person common singular | second person masculine singular Strong’s 5826: To surround, protect, aid
I will uphold you
תְּמַכְתִּ֖יךָ (tə·maḵ·tî·ḵā)
Verb – Qal – Perfect – first person common singular | second person masculine singular Strong’s 8551: To sustain, to obtain, keep fast, to help, follow close
with My right hand
בִּימִ֥ין (bî·mîn)
Preposition-b | Noun – feminine singular construct Strong’s 3225: The right hand, side, the south
of righteousness.
צִדְקִֽי׃ (ṣiḏ·qî)
Noun – masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong’s 6664: The right, equity, prosperity
History records that King Solomon had twenty armed bodyguards, elite warriors guarding him every night as he slept. We have a security greater than any king or president, we have the God of all creation keeping watch over us.
Psalms 121:4: Behold, he that keepth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.
He is a body guard who does not slumber or sleeps. He is on duty every moment of each day 24/7. Our Heavenly bodyguard does not slumber and he also does not sleep.
In Hebrew sleep – ישן
Yod Shin Nun
yashan
Our Father God does not live in time like we do. He created time for us while we are in the earth. It is almost impossible for us to understand it from this physical realms’ perspective. He is not only with us every moment of every day, but we also have the added assurance that He neverslumbers norsleeps.
Why does it say both slumber and sleep?
The word sleepin Hebrew isyashan. It means: to sleep, but is can also mean: to grow old. The creator of the universe will never grow old. Obviously It is impossible to outlive God. He is there with us never growing too old or feeble to help us or encourage us.
Slumber in Hebrew is num
which means; a half sleep that is to get drowsy or have a tendency to doze off. We hear of many kinds of accidents which happen not because the operator or driver fell asleep; but because they were drowsy and not paying attention. Our Heavenly Father has His full attention on us both night and day, He will never sleep nor will His attention be diverted by drowsiness or slumber.
The word keepth in Hebrew is shamar
which means:
to be a body guard, one who watches over to protect.
As our body guard, He is unlike other body guards who need to sleep because God needs no sleep and He watches over us 24/7.
Are sleep and slumber the same thing?
Not if we understand it in the sense that, there may be a guard who is self-disciplined enough to not slumber, but obviously however self disciplined he, is he is going to have to sleep some time; the body cannot function properly without the sleep that God designed our bodies to need. Here we are assured that our Heavenly Father does not slumber and neither does He sleep.
The Hebrew word yashan – sleep, is spelled
Yod – Shin – Nun
The letters of the word many give us some insight, teaching us more than what we think of when we think of sleep; and it helps us to understand what the people in David’s day thought when they heard that God does notyashan or sleep.
The first letter to
ישן
yeshan – sleep
is the
Yod which teaches us:
to be careful not to be so focused on future events that we miss what is happening in the present. When it is written, the letter Yod is hanging in the air and has no connection to the ground. The fact that God never sleeps means, he has His attention focused on the now moment. Whatever we are going through in that very moment He is there focused and fully aware of it.
In yashan
The second letter is the Shin. The Shin represents: The fiery passion of God, His deep love for us is always available, He is never too tired or sick to give us His attention. He is ready to share His passion with us whenever we are ready, making Himself available to us any moment, not when He just feels like it, and we have to wait for Him to wake up.
Nun is the last letter which reveals that our Heavenly Father will never be distracted nor will he let his attention be diverted because he needs to sleep. He is attentive to us all day and all night.
From this we can take great comfort when He says that He will stand guard over us and never sleep it means that He will watch and protection is for every moment in our lives until we see Him face to face. He is watching over us right now, no matter what we are going through. Because He does not sleep means, His watches carefully over us and makes his passions available to us at any time, and He is never too tired to pour out His love on us. Finally we must accept the fact that He does notsleep means, that there is nothing to divert His attention away from us.
By declaring that He is watching over us and never slumbers or sleeps, He is telling us that there are no holes or gaps in His protective covering. There is no better place of security than to put ourselves under His care.
Every reader, be comforted and encouraged, whatever is going on in the world around us….Remember…
Yea- ap – how much more
is He with us /Emanuel, through every test and fiery trial because,
as the word keepth / shamar / means to be a body guard 24/7 One who always has our back and because he never slumbers /num nor sleeps/yashan. Do not fear and do not be afraid for the tests and trials.. He has overcome the world. John 16:33
but
Better
Yet…
..YEA
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT 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.
From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent,
with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the Lord.
Genesis 12:8
Where we live geographically is one thing,
where we live spiritually is a whole other aspect of our lives.
Beth El = House of God
Ai = the world.
Where we settle is directed by the Lord..
And hath made of one, all mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, determining appointed times, and the limits of their habitation. Acts 17:6
CSB translation says: and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He built an altar and called on the Name of the Lord. A place of worship. In the centre between the House of God/Bethel and Ai /the world.
We are in this world but not of it…
Where have you pitched your tent ?
A tent give the impression of not being permanent, of someone in transit. Itinerant or always on the move like the bedouin nomads. However, a tent is a place of protection from the elements and to rest. Today most people have a permanent address, a location that they always return to, a home. We are in this world but not of it because the world and its systems belong to the adversary and he is the god of this world.
Worship is giving to our Heavenly Father the best, the same best that He has given us. We need to be careful and mindful of what we do with the best that we have. Whenever we receive a blessing from our Heavenly Father, we are to offer it back to Him as a love gift. Allow Him to direct us what He would have us do with what He has placed in our life and hands.
Take time to be in His presence. Turn off distractions and focus our minds before Him, thinking deeply on His provision and love for us; and offer all blessings back to Him in a deliberate act of worship, instead of greedily grasping it to ourselves. Because if we selfishly hoard it, it will become just like the manna did inEx 16:20. It will spoil and turn into spiritual dry rot, just as when it was gathered in excess and hoarded against Gods instructions. He supplies daily and will direct us when to keep, and when to share and release our blessings. We are channels, conduits through which blessings and provision can flow freely.
Matthew 10:8 freely you have received, freely give.
God will never allow us to keep a spiritual blessing entirely for ourselves. It must be returned to Him so that He can make it a blessing to others. We are all one body and not disconnected. When one part hurts the whole body hurts and vice versa.
Here inGen. 12:8, Bethel is Hebrew for ‘the house of God’ – it is the symbol of fellowship and communion with Him, and where we should desire to spend time – at Gods house.
Ai is a symbol of the world, Abraham pitched his tent between the two. He had access to be able to witness to the world, but not live there, nor be a part of it, or become influenced by all that it offers. Lot pitched his tent towards sodom and we all know that did not end well!
Remember Lots wife
Luke 17:23
She became so connected to the world that
she looked back longingly
to what she was leaving behind.
The lasting value of our service and ministry to the public in the world is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private time of fellowship and oneness with Him. When we rush in and out of worship its is not pleasing to Him. Think how we feel when someone we are talking to takes a phone call, or is not paying attention to us. It is not only rude and disrespectful, but they are not listening to us and seems like they don’t care and are not interested at all.
There is always plenty of time to worship God we just simply choose to spend our time on things we prefer to do. Think nothing of watching tv or sports for an hour, or on social media etc etc. We spiritually need to have daily quiet time with our Heavenly Father. Jesus/Yeshua asked His Disciples in
Matthew 26:40
Could you not pray with me 1 hour?
All relationships must have communication for decisions to be made and loving trust to be established, ottherwise, they break down and one doesn’t know what the other is doing and they end up going separate ways. This is why we must pitch our tents towards the Lord, where we will always have quiet time with Him, however noisy our times in the world may be.
There aren’t 3 levels to our spiritual lives: worship – waiting and work. Yet some of us jump from worship – to waiting – to work, when our Fathers Way is that the 3 should combine as one. Jesus/Yeshua’s life showed them blended perfectly in harmony. Follow Me, He said. It’s a discipline that MUST be developed, and it doesn’t happen in a day.
His ‘Follow Me’ command, came twice to them. Once in John 13:36/Matt. 4:19and 3 years later in 21:19. Here the first time, Peter followed without hesitation. The call of Messiah had an irresistible pull on him and Peter didn’t need the Fathers’ Holy Spirit to help him go. Years later he denied Him and Peter’s heart broke; however, he received Holy Spirit and when Messiah said again, in John 21:9Follow Me; there was no one but Jesus/Yeshua in front of him. The first Follow Me, was an external following and there was no mystery about it, but inJohn 21;18Messiah is asking for an internal sacrifice and yielding.
This call for an internal sacrifice and yielding is to us also.
In26:69-75 tells us that Peter denied Jesus/yeshua with curses and oaths between the 2 follow me‘s.
At this point he came to the end of himself and all his self sufficiency.
There was no part of him that he would ever rely on again. In this broken state, he was finally ready to receive all that the resurrected Messiah had for him.
Have we come to the end of ourselves yet?
Have we come to the realization that we cannot make it without HIm?
in John 20:22 He breathed on themand this was prior to the outpouring at Shavuot/Pentecost. No matter what changes our Heavenly Father has made in us, we are never to rely on them; we are to build only on one person, the Messiah Jesus/Yeshua and on His Spirit of Holiness which He gives. All our promises and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to accomplish them and bring them to pass. However, when we come to the end of ourselves not just mentally but in every way, we are able to receive His Holy Spirit.
This is the picture of being completely filled, invaded, wholly permeated, and then there is only One who directs the course of our lives. Our Lord and Savior dwelling within, tabernacled in us. We have become His dwelling place and are seemlessly connected and blended with Messiah.
We have become the tent of meeting,
we are the place of tabernacling;
so wherever we are, the bethel – house of Gods presence is where we are.
Where we have pitched out tent is not a location between two places any longer, because He is in us, and we are in Him we are not of this world.
How long will we halt between two opinions and choices?
Come out from among them and be ye separate…
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you. 2 Cor. 6:17
Where have you pitched your tent?
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT 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.
Gal. 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
Genesis 4:40 only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.
The ‘throne of God’ is His presence.
Once His presence was confined
to the mishkan in the wilderness;
and then transferred to the Temple within the Holy of Holies.
The Temple had a large courtyard where everyone was allowed; here they came to bring, or purchase the birds or animals for the sacrifice required for their sins. The altar of sacrifice was open to, and available for sinners to atone for their sins. The presence, or shekinah of the Lord was not manifested there.
Next was the Inner Court or Holy Place, where the priests could go but not the general public. Here stood the table of showbread containing the bread of the presence, the menorah and the altar of incense. Here when they were cleansed and prepared, the priests were one step closer to the Holy of Holies, where the presence of the Lord resided in the Ark of the Covenant. Only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies and he had to be as pure and sinless as possible. Sacrifice had to be made for him and on behalf of the people. He wore special white clothes, no shoes. The only thing he took with Him was the blood of the sacrifice for those sins to be sprinkled on the ark itself; on the mercy seat /the kapporet. This blood paid the price for sin as an atonement by ‘covering’ them..
The container of His glory /presence/ indwelling, was covered in sacrificial blood. After Messiah Jesus died, He became our sacrifice for our sin; His blood paid the price for our sin by not only covering but removing them forever. Gods glory/ shekinah /His Spirit, was no longer confined in the Holy of Holies where only one man could go once a year. The temple curtain separating the place where the ark resided was torn, and the way to the Father was opened for all to come; without a priest performing the sacrifice for us, because Messiah Jesus/Yeshua has done that. He is our High Priest and we can go to His Father through Him. Now His Spirit of Holiness is in the earth and when we accept Jesus/Yeshua as Savior and Messiah, His Spirit /presence/ shekinah, comes to abide/ dwell/ stay/ live and manifest in and through us. We have become not the courtyard in the ‘temple’ where sin is allowed, but the equal of the naos (Greek), the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary, the Holy place where His presence can come. A Holy God cannot come where there is sin and it may be why there is so little manifestation of His Holy Spirit in individuals lives today?
Because we are the representation of the Ark of His Covenant, the container of His glory, we have a duty, a calling, an accountability to the Father for the way we control our bodies under His authority. Gal 2:21
This is our part.
We would not put poison into something holy, or abuse that container would we?
Our part is having the power working in us. We must have the power in order for God to work. The cleaner we are, the more the power of His Holy Spirit can flow through us to others.
Paul said he didn’t set aside the grace of God and make it ineffective. God’s grace is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus/Yeshua is complete- finished forever. Salvation is as eternal as Gods’ throne, however we must put to work, or use what God has placed within us.
To work out our own salvation.
Phil. 2:12 means that we are responsible for using what He has given us. We are responsible for using what He has imparted to us. It also means that we must exhibit, show in our own bodies, the life of the Lord Jesus; not mysteriously or secretly but openly and boldly. We are to discipline our bodies. 1 Cor. 9:27 and bring them into subjection. Every disciple/believer in Jesus/Yeshua can have their bodies under absolute control for the Lord. Our Father has given us the responsibility to rule over all of the temple including the naos/sanctuary, place where His spirit resides. We are the ark today, carriers of His glory, we are the Holy of Holies. 1 Cor 6:19
If we are, then this includes our thoughts and desires; we are responsible for these and we must never give way to improper ones. However, most of us are much more severe in our criticism of others than we are of ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves and in our own life while condemning things in the life of others, simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.
In Rom. 12:1 Paul implored his listeners, and that includes us, to present your bodies a living sacrifice! What we must decide is whether or not we will agree with our Heavenly Father, Lord and King that our bodies will indeed be His sanctuary, His holy of holies, His naos, His ark on the earth. Once we agree with all the rules, regulations and requirements of His commandments; and with the directives for being His disciple, His child, concerning our physical bodies. They are summed up for us in this revealed truth: our body is the Sanctuary – not just the Temple of His Holy Spirit.
This is our part.
We are covered in the blood of Messiah, who died for us; we have become the ark of His covenant, sprinkled with the sacrificial blood of His merciful forgiveness. We are no longer sinners in the sense that now we are saved by His grace. Redeemed and sanctified, set apart to good works, no longer ruled by the flesh life.
A life lived in, and ruled by the flesh is no different to the way of the world.
The life we now live by the Son of God is ruled by His Sprit within us. We should show forth this Holy life in our physical bodies, because we are His representatives on earth and it should be one where the life of Christ shines through us representing all the promises of a redeemed life. Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The lifeI nowlive in the body, I live by faith in the Sonof God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
This is HIs part and our part together.
Examining further the sacrificial work that was accomplished by Messiah, we need to look at the levitical sacrifice in a deeper way to see the fullness of what our Heavenly Father intends for each of us. Sometimes we just read the new testament without the foundation of the old and miss that deeper truth. The one day of the year the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies was on the day of atonement/ Yom Kippur.
When he offered the sacrifice of the bull for his own sins and then took 2 goats to the door of the temple to deal with the sins of the nation. There is no atonement for sin without a blood sacrifice. A life for a a life, Ex. 21:23; and the life is in the blood.
Hence Jesus/Yeshuas sacrificial death and blood was for our redemption. This is how He fulfilled all things of the law and it is important for us to know.
Regarding the 2 goats: there was a lottery, a casting of lots where one of the goats was chosen and was called the Lords goat, and offered as a sacrifice and its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat in the holy of holies.
… He is to castlotsforthe two goats- one lot…the LORD and the other forthe scapegoat. He is to … sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering .
This was a type and shadow of Yeshua HaMashiach, Messiah Jesus.
This was His work.
This goats blood was to deal with the forgiveness of sins, the atonement for sins. The other goat was set free to wander off into the wilderness as an outcast. The Jewish records show that the goat was thrown off a cliff. This was the scapegoat, a familiar phrase called in Hebrew: the Azezel, or azazel, who was to deal with the guilt we feel for our sins. Being thrown off a cliff would fit the metaphor, because guilt will lead us to destruction. In other words even when God forgives our sins we could still live with regret. That was the purpose of the azazel or scapegoat.
We see that Jesus/Yehsua not only was the Lord’s goat who was sacrificed for our sins, but He was also our scapegoat who took the burden of our sins, our feelings of guilt, remorse and shame; and sent them into the wilderness to be an outcast to never be seen again, or thrown off a cliff, to bring this guilt to an end. No wonder He cried it is finished/completed!
Our Father knows us and that we are prone to not forgive ourselves; that we often harbor deep grief and sorrow; and listen to the lies of the enemy that what we have done is too bad to be forgiven and forgotten, that we are beyond redemption. This is a trap and a lie of the enemy/ adversary, because Jesus/Yeshua has done it all. We are to take all of our wicked ways and place them on the Redeemer, Who will not only make atonement for our wickedness; but will also remove the guilt that comes with it.
Many times we forget there is the
Lords goat and the scapegoat,
and sometimes we do not completely azazel/forsake our wicked ways. Is. 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
In Strongs H5800 The word Forsake in Hebrew is
azab/ aw-zab
עָזַב
and comes from the root word azov.
Meaning: to depart, leave behind, neglect, to loosen
and one Hebrew school of thought suggests the root could be
azoll – אזול
which is the same root word that the Hebrew word azazel for the scapegoat comes from:
We may accept the sacrifice of the Lords goat, but if we spend our lives living in the guilt of our sins, we have not accepted the azazel or the work that Messiah did as a scapegoat..
This is His work and we need to realize once and for all that He also took the guilt and shame of our sins and sending them away into the wilderness or over a cliff.
Sometimes we will not accept the azazel reality of others, who truly repent and receive the truth of the Lords goat. We keep searching for the azazel, and keep hanging the past sins of that person over their head.
Sometimes we have to allow our Heavenly Father to send that scapegoat into the wilderness or over a cliff, never to return and also forgive them and ourselves.
Our part is to yield to His creative work in us, not resisting, nor trying to speed it up. We are being transformed from the inside out. Allow Him to set the pace and the timing. Our part is to decide to build a relationship with Him through prayer, worship, spending time in His presence, reading, studying His Word and being obedient to what He has asked us to do in order to become His disciple.
In John 6:28-35 His disciples/talmidim ask Yeshua/Jesus
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.33For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
We know that Messiah has done it all however, He wants us to do our part and apply His Truth and His Ways to our lives by eating/word and drinking/spirit of Him. This is working out our salvation and displaying His Work in and through us to the lost who are seeking answers, because He is the Way the Truth and the Life. His work is feeding us manna, Himself the bread from heaven, the bread of life/chaim.
Then our work is His work, our part is His part and we become the fulfillment of Messiahs prayer in John 17:20-23.20
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one- 23 I in them and you in me-so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT 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.
and there are deep meanings in every event that has been precisely orchestrated throughout the millennia.
As the year dated 2024 reflects the 2 millennia since Messiahs birth. In Hebrew, the year is 5784 from creation in Genesis.
A typicaltimelineis shown from Creation through the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin in 5756 (1995).
The next Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashana, for the Hebrew Year 5785 begins at sundown on Wednesday, 2 October 2024.
Many people make resolutions and promises at New Year they all mean well but many times will never keep them. One thing we can take on our journey through 2024/5784, is that our Heavenly Father, Messiah Yeshua and His Spirit of Holiness never break their covenant promises.
Here are some of the things we have been promised and particularly those from the victory Messiah won at the cross.
Martin Luther called it the Great Exchange, noting the benefits and blessings Messiah won for us and gave to us and what we have received.
We have exchanged …
Our lostness for His salvation
Our sin for His forgiveness
Our uncleanness for His purity
Our filth for His holiness
Our wickedness for His goodness
Our foolishness for His wisdom
Our weakness for His strength
Our inadequacy for His ability
Our problems for His solutions
Our poverty for His abundance
Our defeat for His victory
Our mind for His mind
Our sickness for His healing
Our anxiety for His peace
Our captivity for His deliverance
Our brokenness for His wholeness
Our lies for His truth
Our way for His Way
Our old life for His new Life
Our fear for His faith
Our bondage for His freedom
Our emptiness for His fullness
Our despair for His hope
Our death for His life
Our curse for His blessing
Our misery for His joy
Our rejection for His acceptance
Our shame for His glory
Our sin for His holiness
Our wrongs for His rights
Our darkness for His eternal light
Our slavery for His sonship
Our condemnation for His justification
Our laws for His grace
Our anger for His mercy
Our pride for His humility
Our failures for His new beginnings
Our sadness for His joy
Our broken hearts for His comfort
Our disappointments for His love
Our mistakes for His forgiveness
Our cruelty for His compassion
Our jealousy for His equality
Our unrighteousness for His righteousness
Our rudeness for His tenderness
Our drunkenness for His sobriety
Our duplicity for His honesty
Our guile for His integrity
Our arrogance for His meekness.
Our covetousness for His justification
Our betrayal for His faithfulness
Our rebellion for His obedience
The list is without end there is so much
we have to be thankful and grateful for.
There are countless sermons on the
Great Exchange,
however there may be one aspect we have overlooked?
Just before our Lord and Savior took our place on the cursed tree, there was a significant event where a decision was made between two sons who did not have the same father,
yet both were called son of the father.
One was Jesus/Yeshua, the Son of His and our Heavenly Father
and the other
Barabbas,
Bar meaning; son of and
Abbas meaning: Father.
Barabbas: a thief, a murderer, a rebel. Son of father: in this case the father was the adversary; as Jesus said he was a murderer. John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
Messiah Jesus and Barabbas – The Great Exchange?
Mark 15:6-15
Only in Messiah’s perfect sacrifice was the Great Exchange accomplished, and our Heavenly Father wants us to see this great exchange as a beautiful picture of His grace and mercy in Christ.
What would we think, if a criminal, one guilty of murder and robbery was released from prison and in his place an innocent man was sentenced to die? Our answer might be that it is unfair, outrageous, ridiculous and just who would come up with a suggestion like that?
The truth is that this is our Heavenly Father’s plan, the good news, the gospel. It’s the story of the
great exchange
shown in
Jesus/Yeshua and Barabbas.
The guilty man went free and the innocent man was condemned.
Righteousness was exchanged for unrighteousness;
holiness was substituted for unholiness;
the sinless took the place of the sinner and
the King of kings was replaced for a murderer and a robber.
Mark 15:6- 15.
There are two important points in this message that we need to make note of.
Firstly, only the perfect sacrifice of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua can accomplish the great exchange where the sinner goes free and the Messiah is punished in his place.
Secondly in the great exchange, our Heavenly Father wants us to
see ourselves as Barabbas…
because the fact is that none of us have any hope, except for freedom in Messiah alone.
See ourselves as Barabbas?
A murderer, a criminal, a rebel!
Yes a sinner and all have sinned –
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
Sin is sin and if we have ever been stubborn or rebellious, then we have sinned; hating someone in our hearts is equal to murder in the Fathers eyes. And what about our thought life?
You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body … Matthew 5: 27-28 is a part of Yeshua/Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and one in a series of examples He uses to emphasize the new dimension of spiritual awareness. The phrase “you have heard” does not refer to the scripture, it refers to oral teachings of the Pharisees who violated scripture with their own tradition.
It was the Passover/Pesach, and as was the custom at the Passover/Pesach, the governor would release a prisoner of the crowd’s choosing. In this case, the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas’ release and Yeshua/Jesus’ execution.
Barabbas was a notorious criminal.
Notorious means: widely known and regarded unfavorably.
He had been thrown into prison for his part in a rebellion in Jerusalem and for murder. He was guilty of these crimes, while Messiah Jesus was innocent of the crimes He had been accused of, namely blasphemy of God.
Pilate even told the crowd that he could find no wrong in Jesus/Yeshua and washed his hands to say that he did not agree with putting Jesus/Yeshua to death. However the crowd of about 300 who were stirred up by the chief priest and elders, demanded that Barabbas be released and Jesus/Yeshua be executed by crucifixion.
Only in Messiah/Christ’s perfect sacrifice was the
Great Exchange
accomplished.
God wants us to see this great exchange as a beautiful picture of His grace and mercy in Messiah. The story of Jesus/Yeshua and Barabbas is found in every gospel. It is so important for us to see that only in Messiah’s perfect sacrifice can the just be exchanged for the unjust, the righteous for the unrighteous, the sinless for the sinner, the King of kings for a criminal.
The great exchange of Jesus/Yeshua for Barabbas, which is an often neglected and forgotten part of the story, is proof of God’s great love for the unlovable. We need to realize that an enormous price was paid for this great exchange. That God, not sparing His own Son, would purpose Jesus/Yeshua’s death on the cross in order that people like you and me would be rescued from sin and returned to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father.
The following two verses of scripture explain it well:Isaiah 53:10a
Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; Isaiah 53:10 (ESV) and
2 Corinthians 5:21.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Have we ever seen ourselves as Barabbas?
It is a position with absolutely no hope for freedom except in Messiah Jesus Christ /Yeshua HaMashiach
As we see ourselves as Barabbas, we see an individual so rebellious, so prone to do wrong, so undeserving of freedom and so deserving of punishment for the sin in our lives.
Our Heavenly Father by His grace, rescued us from sin and set us free in Messiah.
That is our Barabbas moment.
But have we really seen ourselves as Barabbas?
Yeshua/Jesus took our place as the criminal.
He received punishment for our crimes, past, present and future.
Crimes such as adultery, pride, gossip, as well as a critical, unforgiving and resentful spirit. Messiah Jesus/Yeshua, the righteous, was condemned; you and I, we, the unrighteous, went free.
Scripture states that none is righteous, no, not one.
Scripture also states that we all fall short of God’s glory. Then how can it be that God Himself in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ, would die for such sin laden people like us living in a world filled with evil and darkness?
The answer is in Romans 8
…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
In what was the most unjust great exchange in all of history, the justice of Our Heavenly Father was served. God exchanged perfect love, grace and mercy while we were still sinners…
How?
through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus/Yeshua’s death on the cross.
While we were prisoners to sin, we were set free from the penalty of sin and death, even though we didn’t deserve it. That is the grace of a Heavenly Father with unconditional love.
We are deserving of a certain death, yet He has prevented us from receiving it.
That is mercy… but how can that be?
Our freedom isn’t achieved by anything we do; it is only by a sinless, innocent Messiah dying in our place.
As we read about this great exchange, Our Heavenly Father’s perfect love, amazing grace and rich mercy in Messiah, exchanged for the deplorable, detestable and horrific sin of people like Barabbas and people like you and me.
How do we respond to this unfair, outrageous, ridiculous story of the unjust exchange of a guilty man for an innocent man? How should we respond?
The only response is to receive the message of the great exchange by believing it and trusting Jesus/Yeshua. He is the only One who would and has willingly exchanged…
His perfection for our shame,
His glory for our rebellion and
His sinlessness for our sinfulness.
He is the only way to freedom.
Freedom from sin.
Freedom from shame.
Freedom from worrying about whether or not others approve of us.
We need to be constantly reminded that Father God’s approval of us is all that matters; and it’s found only in Messiah, whose perfection was exchanged for our imperfection.
If we haven’t trusted Him, we’re still in prison with the door locked. Jesus/Yeshua is our only hope of freedom and He holds the key to our freedom.. When the guards came for Barabbas, did he say, No I will stay in prison? Of course not, why would anyone stay as a slave in bondage when they could be set free?
Right now, as you read this, you can receive our Father God’s gift of love, grace and mercy through simply trusting Jesus/Yeshua as you turn to Him and ask forgiveness for the sin in your life.
Messiah has overcome the world and promised to take the heavy burdens from us and give us rest. Trust Him have faith and take Him at His Word.
John 8:36. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
The Lord Jesus/Yeshua came to die for us so we could live abundantly spiritually and eternally. He came to set us free from sin, from God’s wrath and from ourselves. For those trusting Him, there’s an assurance that we are former criminals, but no longer imprisoned to sin, we have been set free in Messiah. Set free because of the great exchange.
We are to be reconciled to Him ….what does that mean?
God reconciled sinful man to Himself by making His sinless Son the sin bearer and dying in the sinner’s place. Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach paid the death penalty for the sinner so that God could set the sinner free and declare him righteous in His holy presence. He did more than just forgive us our sins; He imputed the perfect righteousness of His Son to us. A great exchange took place. Messiah/Christ got all our sin and guilt; we got His perfect righteousness standing before God. His righteousness was exchanged for our sin.
The apostle Paul wrote:
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18.
The word “reconcile” in the original Greek is
katallasso,
it is an old word for
exchanging coins.
It means “to change, exchange” especially money, then of individuals “to change from enmity to friendship, to reconcile.”
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” Romans 5:10.
God’s love provided the means and foundation for man’s reconciliation to God against whom he had sinned. God’s own sense of justice had to be satisfied’
By means of His own sacrifice of His Son He turns away His own wrath toward the believer. The Lord God needs no reconciliation; we are the ones who need to be reconciled to Him, because we are the sinning rebels. This has to be done on His terms and is made possible through the death of Messiah/Christ.
The great exchange took place. Messiah/Christ took all our sin and guilt; we received His perfect righteousness standing before God. His righteousness was exchanged for our sin.
2 Cor. 5:21
Because of God’s holiness and righteousness, sin must be punished., unfortunately as humans, we tend to take a lenient view of sin, but God can’t do that because; He has set His laws in place and revealed them to us. When they are broken, the transgressor/sinner must be punished. Christians know Messiah/Christ paid their debt on the cross, but He did even more than that for every believer.
In His humanity, Yeshua/Jesus is the “last Adam.” He was born under the law, kept it perfectly, and was qualified as the perfect Adam (man) to save God’s people Rom. 5:15-19. The apostle Paul makes it abundantly clear in Romans 5, that Jesus/Yeshua succeeded where Adam failed, and as death came to all through Adam, righteousness and life come to ALL those who are in Messiah Jesus by faith.
And it’s not just the forgiveness of sins that came through the cross.
Because Messiah Jesus lived a perfectly obedient life, God the Father imputes (that is, credits) Jesus’s perfect righteousness to His people by faith in Messiah alone. This the great exchange, where our sin is credited to Him and the earned righteousness of Messiah is credited to ALL who call upon the name of the Lord.
Where Adam brought death through his rebellion, Messiah earned eternal life for all believers.
In the great exchange Christ’s righteousness is credited to us, and our sin is credited to Christ.
It was God the Father who put all the sins of believers, past, present, and future, on Yeshua/Jesus, Who had no sin. The Son took those sins freely and died to redeem all who would believe; that is, all whom the Father had eternally given to Him as His “bride”.
The agony of the Father turning from His Son Who was made sin, then turned to joy as the Father raised Him from the grave and seated Him at His right hand. And the joy continues as the Spirit gives life through the Son as the Father determined before time began. His joy in bringing many sons to glory.
The redeeming plan of God which was set in place before the creation, is an act of love and grace that is beyond human imagining. When we allow these truths to settle in our hearts, we find the necessary gratitude for continuing to live a life pleasing to our heavenly Father God; with the help of His indwelling Spirit until the day our Savior returns. Then we will each hear, Well done, good and faithful servant.
There is no place for self-righteousness at the foot of the cross. There are no self-made Christians. All true Christians are Christ-made. We are made “the righteousness of God in Him.” Sinners must glory in Messiah/Christ alone because our trespasses were reckoned to Him and the absolute, spotless, perfect, righteousness of Messiah is reckoned to us.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” Ephesians 2:8-10.
Messiah made the perfect atonement for our sins.
He has provided a perfect righteousness, for our justification.
God was in Messiah obtaining our reconciliation to a holy God.
Barabbas is the one person in history who could say that Yeshau/Jesus literally carried his cross.
Messiah Jesus took his death, and Barabbas was given the freedom that Jesus/Yeshua deserved.
Messiah bore the guilt, shame, curse, disgrace and death that Barabbas deserved.
Barabbas received the release, the freedom, and the life that Messiah Jesus deserved.
So yes a murderer did have a part in the great exchange and so do each of us.
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT 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.
From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, 
Gal. 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
Nothing is coincidence in Gods plan 
It was the Passover/Pesach, and as was the custom at the Passover/Pesach, the governor would release a prisoner of the crowd’s choosing. In this case, the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas’ release and Yeshua/Jesus’ execution.
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