ðŽðķððŋðž/ "ððĶðĩðĐðģð°"
ðð ðžðąðð ððī:ðâðŪðŽ:ðŪðŊ
âðŽðžð ððžððŋððēðđððēð ðĩðŪððē ððēðēðŧ ððĩðŪð ð ðąðķðą ððž ððĩðē ððīðð―ððķðŪðŧð, ðŪðŧðą ðĩðžð ð ðŊðžðŋðē ððžð ðžðŧ ðēðŪðīðđðēðâ ððķðŧðīð, ðŪðŧðą ðŊðŋðžððīðĩð ððžð ððž ð ðððēðđðģ. ðĄðžð ððĩðēðŧ, ðķðģ ððžð ððķðđðđ ðķðŧðąðēðēðą ðžðŊðēð ð ð ððžðķð°ðē ðŪðŧðą ðļðēðēð― ð ð ð°ðžððēðŧðŪðŧð, ððĩðēðŧ ððžð ððĩðŪðđðđ ðŊðē ð ð ðžððŧ ð―ðžðððēðððķðžðŧ ðŪðšðžðŧðī ðŪðđðđ ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðēð, ðģðžðŋ ðŪðđðđ ððĩðē ðēðŪðŋððĩ ðķð ð ðķðŧðē; ðŪðŧðą ððžð ððĩðŪðđðđ ðŊðē ððž ð ðē ðŪ ðļðķðŧðīðąðžðš ðžðģ ð―ðŋðķðēððð ðŪðŧðą ðŪ ðĩðžðđð ðŧðŪððķðžðŧ.â - ðð
ðžðąðð ððĩ:ð°-ðē
This week we get to witness the LORD calling Israel to Himself, and after reminding them of how He brought them out of Egypt, gives them the opportunity to ðððððĨðĐ His invitation to covenant. The one thing that is important to note here is that the LORD already rescued them from slavery, but their choice to ðđðķðððēðŧ ðŪðŧðą ðžðŊðēð would prevent it from happening again. The covenant stipulations weren't a means to ðŊðŪðŋðīðŪðķðŧ on what they were willing to do and what they weren't, it was an ðŪðđðđ ðžðŋ ðŧðžððĩðķðŧðī, so to speak. To be His special possession among all the peoples, the LORD Himself determined how they should walk. Shew, that's good stuff.
Before the LORD even comes down on Mt Sinai, to give the Torah in detail - we see the people respond in vs 8, "ððđðđ ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē ðŪðŧðððēðŋðēðą ððžðīðēððĩðēðŋ ðŪðŧðą ððŪðķðą, âððđðđ ððĩðŪð ððĩðē ððžðŋðą ðĩðŪð ðð―ðžðļðēðŧ ððē ððķðđðđ ðąðž!â ððŧðą ð ðžððēð ðŊðŋðžððīðĩð ðŊðŪð°ðļ ððĩðē ððžðŋðąð ðžðģ ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē ððž ððĩðē ððžðŋðą. " Personal thought here: I believe this is how many respond to the 'church's' call to salvation. They don't have a full understanding of what exactly they are agreeing to but are quick to wholeheartedly respond with 'I will do it!'. Sure, we all like the sound of a ðĶðŪððķðžðŋ - the One who can free us from our ðĢð°ðŊðĨðĒðĻðĶ, yet we have never really understood what our ðĢð°ðŊðĨðĒðĻðĶ truly is. We throw out the word ðīðŠðŊ as a blanket statement - but we have lost the ððķððąðžðš of how GOD defines sin. A verse I have learned to really focus on, is Romans 7:7. Paul explicitly says, 'Without the law [Torah] I would not know what sin is'. Think on those things for a few moments, then let's continue.
ð§ðĩðē ððžðŋðą ðŪðđððž ððŪðķðą ððž ð ðžððēð, âððž ððž ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē ðŪðŧðą ð°ðžðŧððēð°ðŋðŪððē ððĩðēðš ððžðąðŪð ðŪðŧðą ððžðšðžðŋðŋðžð, ðŪðŧðą ðđðēð ððĩðēðš ððŪððĩ ððĩðēðķðŋ ðīðŪðŋðšðēðŧðð; ðŪðŧðą ðđðēð ððĩðēðš ðŊðē ðŋðēðŪðąð ðģðžðŋ ððĩðē ððĩðķðŋðą ðąðŪð, ðģðžðŋ ðžðŧ ððĩðē ððĩðķðŋðą ðąðŪð ððĩðē ððžðŋðą ððķðđðđ ð°ðžðšðē ðąðžððŧ ðžðŧ ð ðžððŧð ðĶðķðŧðŪðķ ðķðŧ ððĩðē ððķðīðĩð ðžðģ ðŪðđðđ ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē. ðŽðžð ððĩðŪðđðđ ððēð ðŊðžððŧðąð ðģðžðŋ ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē ðŪðđðđ ðŪðŋðžððŧðą, ððŪððķðŧðī, âððēððŪðŋðē ððĩðŪð ððžð ðąðž ðŧðžð ðīðž ðð― ðžðŧ ððĩðē ðšðžððŧððŪðķðŧ ðžðŋ ððžðð°ðĩ ððĩðē ðŊðžðŋðąðēðŋ ðžðģ ðķð; ððĩðžðēððēðŋ ððžðð°ðĩðēð ððĩðē ðšðžððŧððŪðķðŧ ððĩðŪðđðđ ðððŋðēðđð ðŊðē ð―ðð ððž ðąðēðŪððĩ. ðĄðž ðĩðŪðŧðą ððĩðŪðđðđ ððžðð°ðĩ ðĩðķðš, ðŊðð ðĩðē ððĩðŪðđðđ ðððŋðēðđð ðŊðē ðððžðŧðēðą ðžðŋ ððĩðžð ððĩðŋðžððīðĩ; ððĩðēððĩðēðŋ ðŊðēðŪðð ðžðŋ ðšðŪðŧ, ðĩðē ððĩðŪðđðđ ðŧðžð ðđðķððē.â ðŠðĩðēðŧ ððĩðē ðŋðŪðšâð ðĩðžðŋðŧ ððžððŧðąð ðŪ ðđðžðŧðī ðŊðđðŪðð, ððĩðēð ððĩðŪðđðđ ð°ðžðšðē ðð― ððž ððĩðē ðšðžððŧððŪðķðŧ.â ðĶðž ð ðžððēð ððēðŧð ðąðžððŧ ðģðŋðžðš ððĩðē ðšðžððŧððŪðķðŧ ððž ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē ðŪðŧðą ð°ðžðŧððēð°ðŋðŪððēðą ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē, ðŪðŧðą ððĩðēð ððŪððĩðēðą ððĩðēðķðŋ ðīðŪðŋðšðēðŧðð. ððē ððŪðķðą ððž ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē, âððē ðŋðēðŪðąð ðģðžðŋ ððĩðē ððĩðķðŋðą ðąðŪð; ðąðž ðŧðžð ðīðž ðŧðēðŪðŋ ðŪ ððžðšðŪðŧ [ðððŦð ð§ððĄððĐððĪðĢðĻ ðŽððĐð ðŪðĪðŠð§ ðŽððð].â - ðð
ðžðąðð ððĩ:ððŽ-ððą
I don't know about you, but just hearing those words puts a bit of fear in my heart. Do we truly, truly grasp the ðĩðžðđðķðŧðēðð of our GOD in comparison to our ððŧð°ðđðēðŪðŧðŧðēðð? The LORD who wants so much to draw near to us, has to place a boundary in order to ðąðģðĶðīðĶðģð·ðĶ ððŠð§ðĶ. Death and Life are not compatible with one another. Sin introduces death. The whole process of the people consecrating themselves and washing their garments was so they He could come near - down on the Mountain, that they may ð ðĢðĪðŽ Him. As I have been trying to study more about the 'why's' of the Temple and sacrifices [and why they will be reinstituted in the milleniel reign on earth as told by Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zachariah], it has become abundantly clear that the sacrifices weren't about ðąðēðŪððĩ at all. They were actually all about ðđðķðģðē. ððķðģðē ðķð ðķðŧ ððĩðē ðŊðđðžðžðą. (Lev 17:11) It was a way to enable us to draw near to our Father, in our fallen state, without being killed ourselves. That is why in the milleniel Kingdom it will be necessary again as the LORD comes to live among us once more. Remember, Yeshua's (Christs') words, that not one jot or tittle of the Torah would pass away until the ðĄððŠ heaven and ðĄððŠ earth, which won't happen until ððð§ððĨ the millennial reign! Which means, even though Christ came to free us from our sin (death), we must choose to ðđðķðððēðŧ ðŪðŧðą ðžðŊðēð to the commands of GOD [Torah], to remain in covenant and not go back into bondage to our sin, leading to death!!! ð§ðð ððĒðĨð ððĶ ððð ðððĒðĻð§ ðððð!!!! John 10:10 tells us, "ð§ðĩðē ððĩðķðēðģ ð°ðžðšðēð ðžðŧðđð ððž ðððēðŪðđ ðŪðŧðą ðļðķðđðđ ðŪðŧðą ðąðēðððŋðžð; ð ð°ðŪðšðē ððĩðŪð ððĩðēð ðšðŪð ðĩðŪððē ðđðķðģðē, ðŪðŧðą ðĩðŪððē ðķð ðŪðŊððŧðąðŪðŧððđð." Just like Israel in our story today!! Wow, what a beautiful revelation!! Shew!
ðĄðžð ð ðžððŧð ðĶðķðŧðŪðķ ððŪð ðŪðđðđ ðķðŧ ððšðžðļðē ðŊðēð°ðŪðððē ððĩðē ððžðŋðą ðąðēðð°ðēðŧðąðēðą ðð―ðžðŧ ðķð ðķðŧ ðģðķðŋðē; ðŪðŧðą ðķðð ððšðžðļðē ðŪðð°ðēðŧðąðēðą ðđðķðļðē ððĩðē ððšðžðļðē ðžðģ ðŪ ðģððŋðŧðŪð°ðē, ðŪðŧðą ððĩðē ððĩðžðđðē ðšðžððŧððŪðķðŧ ðūððŪðļðēðą ððķðžðđðēðŧððđð. ðŠðĩðēðŧ ððĩðē ððžððŧðą ðžðģ ððĩðē ððŋððšð―ðēð ðīðŋðēð ðđðžððąðēðŋ ðŪðŧðą ðđðžððąðēðŋ, ð ðžððēð ðð―ðžðļðē ðŪðŧðą ððžðą ðŪðŧðððēðŋðēðą ðĩðķðš ððķððĩ ððĩððŧðąðēðŋ. ð§ðĩðē ððžðŋðą ð°ðŪðšðē ðąðžððŧ ðžðŧ ð ðžððŧð ðĶðķðŧðŪðķ, ððž ððĩðē ððžð― ðžðģ ððĩðē ðšðžððŧððŪðķðŧ; ðŪðŧðą ððĩðē ððžðŋðą ð°ðŪðđðđðēðą ð ðžððēð ððž ððĩðē ððžð― ðžðģ ððĩðē ðšðžððŧððŪðķðŧ, ðŪðŧðą ð ðžððēð ððēðŧð ðð―. ð§ðĩðēðŧ ððĩðē ððžðŋðą ðð―ðžðļðē ððž ð ðžððēð, âððž ðąðžððŧ, ððŪðŋðŧ ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē, ððž ððĩðŪð ððĩðēð ðąðž ðŧðžð ðŊðŋðēðŪðļ ððĩðŋðžððīðĩ ððž ððĩðē ððžðŋðą ððž ðīðŪððē, ðŪðŧðą ðšðŪðŧð ðžðģ ððĩðēðš ð―ðēðŋðķððĩ. AĖģlĖģsĖģoĖģ ĖģlĖģeĖģtĖģ ĖģtĖģhĖģeĖģ ĖģpĖģrĖģiĖģeĖģsĖģtĖģsĖģ ĖģwĖģhĖģoĖģ ĖģcĖģoĖģmĖģeĖģ ĖģnĖģeĖģaĖģrĖģ ĖģtĖģoĖģ ĖģtĖģhĖģeĖģ ĖģLĖģoĖģrĖģdĖģ ĖģcĖģoĖģnĖģsĖģeĖģcĖģrĖģaĖģtĖģeĖģ ĖģtĖģhĖģeĖģmĖģsĖģeĖģlĖģvĖģeĖģsĖģ,Ėģ ĖģoĖģrĖģ ĖģeĖģlĖģsĖģeĖģ ĖģtĖģhĖģeĖģ ĖģLĖģoĖģrĖģdĖģ ĖģwĖģiĖģlĖģlĖģ ĖģbĖģrĖģeĖģaĖģkĖģ ĖģoĖģuĖģtĖģ ĖģaĖģgĖģaĖģiĖģnĖģsĖģtĖģ ĖģtĖģhĖģeĖģmĖģ.ĖģâĖģ Ėģ - Exodus 19:18:22
The LORD then begins to deliver the first of His commandments - the ð§ðēðŧ ðŠðžðŋðąð. One commentator noted that we are taught, 'out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks', and when you think about that as the LORD delivered ðððĶ ðŠðžðŋðąð it really changes your whole perspective. These ðŠðžðŋðąð were not just willy nilly to-do's - ðĄðĒ - they were the very ðĩðēðŪðŋð of the Father for ðððĶ ðĢððĒðĢðð. When I think of all the times I myself have said [and heard it said from a pulpit a time or two] that these ðŠðžðŋðąð were about punishment or judgement - or about standards which GOD knew we couldn't live up to, it breaks my ðĩðēðŪðŋð. How did I miss it for so long? The absolute ðŊðēðŪððð of ðððĶ ðŠðžðŋðąð and the very ðððð they bring. LORD, forgive me!
Friends, I want to finish with Ex 19:18-20 today.
ððð ðĩðĐðĶ ðąðĶð°ðąððĶ ðąðĶðģðĪðĶðŠð·ðĶðĨ ðĩðĐðĶ ðĩðĐðķðŊðĨðĶðģ ðĒðŊðĨ ðĩðĐðĶ ððŠðĻðĐðĩðŊðŠðŊðĻ ð§ððĒðīðĐðĶðī ðĒðŊðĨ ðĩðĐðĶ ðīð°ðķðŊðĨ ð°ð§ ðĩðĐðĶ ðĩðģðķðŪðąðĶðĩ ðĒðŊðĨ ðĩðĐðĶ ðŪð°ðķðŊðĩðĒðŠðŊ ðīðŪð°ðŽðŠðŊðĻ; ðĒðŊðĨ ðļðĐðĶðŊ ðĩðĐðĶ ðąðĶð°ðąððĶ ðīðĒðļ ðŠðĩ, ðĩðĐðĶðš ðĩðģðĶðŪðĢððĶðĨ ðĒðŊðĨ ðīðĩð°ð°ðĨ ðĒðĩ ðĒ ðĨðŠðīðĩðĒðŊðĪðĶ. ððĐðĶðŊ ðĩðĐðĶðš ðīðĒðŠðĨ ðĩð° ðð°ðīðĶðī, âððąðĶðĒðŽ ðĩð° ðķðī ðšð°ðķðģðīðĶðð§ ðĒðŊðĨ ðļðĶ ðļðŠðð ððŠðīðĩðĶðŊ; ðĢðķðĩ ððĶðĩ ðŊð°ðĩ ðð°ðĨ ðīðąðĶðĒðŽ ðĩð° ðķðī, ð°ðģ ðļðĶ ðļðŠðð ðĨðŠðĶ.â "ð ðžððēð ððŪðķðą ððž ððĩðē ð―ðēðžð―ðđðē, âððž ðŧðžð ðŊðē ðŪðģðŋðŪðķðą; ðģðžðŋ ððžðą ðĩðŪð ð°ðžðšðē ðķðŧ ðžðŋðąðēðŋ ððž ððēðð ððžð, ðŪðŧðą ðķðŧ ðžðŋðąðēðŋ ððĩðŪð ððĩðē ðģðēðŪðŋ ðžðģ ððķðš ðšðŪð ðŋðēðšðŪðķðŧ ððķððĩ ððžð, ððž ððĩðŪð ððžð ðšðŪð ðŧðžð ððķðŧ.â
Oh how I pray for the ð§ðĶðĒðģ ð°ð§ ðĩðĐðĶ ðððð to return to ðððĶ ðĢððĒðĢðð like never before. I pray for an awakening so great within our hearts that the whole earth trembles as we return back to ðððĶ ðŠðžðŋðąð, ðððĶ ððððĨð§. Oh what a glorious day that will be, when we are fully able to understand the weight of our sin and the death it brings - contrasted with the gift of ððŪðđððŪððķðžðŧ that is so freely offered for life! Oh friends, there is a day coming when the ððŋðķðąðē will enter the wedding banquet to be united to her LORD - and the door will be shut, forever. We must ðąðķðð°ðēðŋðŧ the day and the hour we are in. Let it start today - and what better day than the Sabbath Day, ðððĶ ðŠðžðŋðą for a day of rest. A picture of what is to come. May the eyes of our understanding be opened wider than ever before, to hear what the LORD is saying. To Him belongs the glory, forever and ever, Amen!