Do we Only Keep the Ten Commandments?
04/02/16 (1/24) Video Broadcast
Our study topic for today is entitled
DO WE ONLY KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
Semi - popular view and not an extremely
popular view - but somewhat and maybe some
elements of this viewpoint are present
in some form - some denominations - some
people believe this - that as long as
you keep the Ten Commandments, you're
just fine - don't worry about the rest
so much. And I've noticed that in
recent years, there seems to be a
growing outcry, you know, the
removal of the Ten Commandments
from
as the Ten Commandments are - is that really all that He requires of us, or does He want more than that? Is He looking for more than just the Ten Commandments or is it just the Ten Commandments only that we have to observe? I've heard people say something to the effect of
"Well, as long as we keep the Ten Commandments, that's the main thing, you know - if we miss the other parts of the Law,it's really no big deal - just mainly focus on keeping the Ten Commandments." And while I appreciate the simplicity of that statement, I think - I guess maybe some people are trying to cut through the confusion, you know - what we're supposed to do or what we're not supposed to do. But based on a thorough review of Yahweh's Word, it's simply not a true statement. He wants us to observe more than just the Ten Commandments. I've heard other folks say, "Well, in Deuteronomy 5:22, Yahweh said He added no more to the Ten Commandments, so really, that's all He really requires of us are the Ten Commandments and any other commandments that may branch off of that." And so, we get to looking here at
Deuteronomy 5:22, and we read it in context. Actually,Yahweh is listing the Ten Commandments here. He says - You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, you shall not covet your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. These words Yahweh spoke to all your assembly,- Moshe, speaking here - in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. And on that basis, the fact that He said that He added no more, we see that people were saying, "Well, there's really nothing else besides that - the Ten Commandments-that's the main thing." Well, the Ten Commandments were given to Moshe, and since, you know, He says He added no more - does that mean He intended to add no more beyond that? Some say, "Well, the Ten Commandments were inside of the Ark, the book of the Law was outside the Ark. So really, all He wanted was for them to keep the Ten Commandments - the other stuff was more of like an add-on thing-
you know because they sinned with the golden calf, so Yahweh had to add some extra laws to keep them in line." And they say, "Well you know, we really only have to keep the Ten Commandments-maybe the other various laws that fall under the Ten Commandments categories-you know, like sexual immorality would fall under adultery-things like that." Now, some of you have probably never heard this before, but the teachings out there, and you have to be aware of it. And so, we're gonna address that, and we're gonna address some other things related to-Do We Only Have to Keep The Ten Commandments? So, let's continue reading here in Deuteronomy 5, and it says
"So, it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. "And you said: 'Surely Yahweh our Mighty One has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that Elohim speaks with man; yet still lives. 'Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of Yahweh our Mighty One anymore, then we shall die.
'For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living Elohim speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 'You go near and hear all that Yahweh our Mighty One may say and tell us all that Yahweh our Mighty One says to you, and we will hear and do it.' You go there Moshe-we're not holy enough. Now some will look at these words and say, "Well, Israel was wrong for not wanting to hear Yahweh's Words." And they'll quote the book of Hebrews to justify that thought.
Hebrews 12:18 says-For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. Then they point that out-"Oh, they don't wanna hear the word-they begged not to have to hear the word again". But why didn't they want to have to hear the word? Because they were afraid- not because they didn't wanna do it. We just read where
it says-we'll hear it, we'll do it-we're willing to do it but this, you know, the props here, I mean the fire, the blackness and darkness and the sound of the trumpet scared us to death!
Verse 20-For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow." And so, terrifying was the sight that Moshe said-"I am exceedingly afraid and trembling." So, even Moshe was scared over what was going on. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living Elohim, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels. So, the law-
the giving of the Torah-the giving of the Law of Yahweh has a certain amount of glory to it- in that-this is the way of righteousness-walk in it. But there's also something in the law that- even apart from the smoke and the tempest and these things-the smoke and the darkness and the blackness-all these things. Besides all that-just the fact that it speaks to us that we're supposed to be doing this, and we haven't done it-we fail, apart from Messiah, condemned. But with Messiah, we don't look at the law as something that can condemn us, we look at something to convict us-to correct us-to lead us to righteousness. So, the Ten Commandments have that role still. But-
we're not relying upon it for salvation because we have come to the heavenly Jerusalem-the living Elohim-to an innumerable company of angels, and so on.
to the general assembly and congregation of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to Elohim the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Yahushua the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on the earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven. So, he's putting even greater emphasis on the need to hear Yahweh's voice now than even then. But taking these statements here and kind of ran with them saying, that, you know, "Because the book of Hebrews says they refused Him who spoke on the earth, the Israelites were wrong for asking Moses-Moshe to hear from Yahweh and Moshe speak to them rather than them hearing Yahweh's Words directly from the mountain". The evidence that they refused Yahweh who spoke from heaven is not that they didn't want to hear Yahweh's Words directly, but because they quickly turned aside from those words, and made a golden calf.
That's why it says they didn't wanna hear the Word-they did not want to obey the Words is because they refused Him. They did-
they refused what Yahweh had said.
Because
they disobeyed. Okay? They weren't against hearing the Word, but they did not
obey the Word, and therefore,
they refused Him who spoke on the earth. But some would take these statements and suggest, "Well, that's proof of their hardness of heart- they didn't wanna hear these words." That's not what it says though-if that's how you wanna interpret it, you're gonna have to find somewhere other than Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20 because look what it says-
It says-'You go near and hear all that Yahweh our Mighty One may say and tell us-tell us all that Yahweh our Mighty One says to you, and we will hear it and we'll do it.' They were willing to hear it, but they were just afraid because of the props that He had going on out there. So then, Yahweh heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and Yahweh said to me: 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. He wasn't upset at what they said-He said they're right-they're right about this. And He said, 'Oh that they had such a heart in them that they would fear me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them-for their own benefit and their children's benefit forever! So, it was to their advantage that they would fear Yahweh so that their lives would be blessed. And I suggest it's to our advantage that we have that same kind of heart in us-that we would fear Him and keep His Commandments. So, He wasn't angry with them for not wanting to hear His Word-they wanted to hear His Words, but the fire and the smoke and tempests and all these things-it was just too much-it was intense. Okay. So, Yahweh was not upset about that-they were right in all they spoke. So, Yahweh himself, would disagree
with anyone who would say they had the wrong kind of thinking-He would disagree-based on what I'm reading here. So, continue reading-
Go and say to them, "Return to your tents." But as for you, -Moshe - stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess. Therefore,you shall be careful to do as Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
You shall walk in all the ways which Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. He's not done.
Now this is the commandment, and these are the statues and judgments which Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear Yahweh your Mighty One, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son, and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged... So, it goes on, and He talks about how in verse 4
how we're supposed to love Yahweh with all of our heart, our soul and all of our strength, and teach them to our children, and so on. He continued to give them commandments in Deuteronomy 6, but they were just-at that point-passed through Moshe and then given to Israel. No sign of Yahweh being unhappy with their decision-He said they're right in all they've spoken. He didn't create additional laws out of disobedience, but rather, out of respect for their fear of Elohim. That's why He went through Moshe at that point. He was going to continue to give them laws, by the looks of it, but he went through Moshe at that point, and those commands He thundered from Sinai were important, and they are part of the Ten Commandments-no question. At that point, when He was done with Ten Commandments, He gave Moshe the tablets of stone-no question. But to say that He was only gonna give them that-that was all He was going to do-there's no sign whatsoever that that was the case. And so, He gave them to Moshe from that point on, and then Moshe-Moses-gave them to Israel. And so all this business about, you know, the so-called Law of Moses-as if Moses was making this all up himself-that it was some temporary thing he was coming up with-NONSENSE! Moses did not invent a bunch of laws-they all came from Yahweh's mouth! To say the Law of Moses and the Law of Yahweh, is basically the same thing. It was just that Moses was the spokesperson-through whom Yahweh gave His laws. And they're all for the good of His people-not some bad thing to put people in bondage. His laws and statutes, His commandments are laws of love-not attempts to put a yoke around their necks. The only time His law will become a yoke around our neck is if were to try to earn our salvation by our obedience to the law-as if we're trying to make our good somehow outweigh our bad-thinking that maybe that will cause Yahweh to accept us. But there is no good that we could do that could possibly make up for our crimes. Imagine a murderer-he murdered somebody. And he goes to the judge, and he says, "You know judge-I've done a lot of good in my life, so I think you ought to set me free." Would that work? No, it wouldn't work. And so, no matter what good we've done, it's not going to make up for the crimes that we've committed. We need a Savior-we need a redeemer-and so, we have Yahushua, who paid that price for us-if we're willing to repent-that means turn away-from breaking those laws-turn toward keeping them. So, we do need to look at other commandments besides just the Ten Commandments. And while it's true that the Ten Commandments are unique standing among us, the Ten Commandments you might say are maybe-some say, "Well they're Yahweh's "Top Ten List". But maybe, they're special, certainly. Yahweh handed the tablets of stone over to Moshe after giving those ten, but it might be that Yahweh just wanted to get Israel's response before He continued giving commandments. I don't really have to know all the reasons and motives He had. I just see clearly He wasn't finished- He had more to say, and He did. Now, one argument against the idea that this is just His "Top Ten List" would be found in Acts 15:19.
where it says-I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to Elohim,- the context of this was-there were Jewish people saying that the Gentiles were not yet saved because they had not been circumcised, and the judgment of the council in Jerusalem was-to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath. In other words, they're going to learn more of what they need to be doing when they-because they observe the Sabbath-they'll be in the synagogues every Sabbath. Now if the Ten Commandments were only this "Top Ten List", I have to ask-why was refraining from things strangled, which would refer to a strangled animal that had the blood still in the meat and drinking blood or you might suggest this is murder because you're guilty of bloodshed. Either way, however you interpret it-doesn't matter, but we have this thing strangled, this drinking blood being with the meat being forbidden. So, where is that in the Ten Commandments? I see sexual immorality, but not-only adultery really is in the Ten Commandments-not sexual immorality in general. And I see things polluted by idols-that would be involving idol worship-that's forbidden, of course in the Ten Commandments, but nothing about the eating of blood, whereas we do have before the Ten Commandments were ever given, a precept in
Genesis 9:4 to Noah, telling him-you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. So, I'm not sure that this is simply like
a "Top Ten List". Maybe it is in some respects, but if that was the case, why didn't they say to Gentiles, "Well you focus on keeping the Ten Commandments?" He just said, "Well Moses has, you know, other things you'll learn about in the synagogue every Sabbath. And there are a lot of things that are not mentioned in the Ten Commandments that were practiced before Sinai-this was one of them
where they're not to drink blood with the meat. We know that the clean and the unclean
animals. It says-You shall take with you seven of every clean animal, a male and his female; two of the animals that are unclean, a male and his female. And so, Genesis 7:2-this is before Sinai here, right? Before the Ten Commandments were given, and it's not in the Ten Commandments-about anything to do with clean or unclean. We know sacrifices were done by Able, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, so on. They would bring the firstlings of their flock.
Genesis 14:20 says-And blessed be Elohim Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. It says-he gave him a tithe of all. This is Abraham tithing. And in Jacob-this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be Elohim's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You. So, Jacob also tithed-both of them tithed of everything they had.
And so, we see Genesis 26:4 says-I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice, kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws. How did he know about tithing-how did he know about, you know, sacrifices?
How did Noah know about clean and unclean? As if Yahweh was saying, "Well by the way, the clean go here and the unclean go there". How did Noah know all this? There were commandments and statutes and laws long before Sinai. It's just that they were not written down. The reason why they were not written down is simply because they didn't need to be. From Adam to his son Seth-obviously Adam could have communicated-had many, many hundreds of years to communicate Yahweh's Word to Seth. And then Seth lived almost into Noah's lifetime-like seventy years or so prior-he died. So, there have been plenty of people to communicate that will, those commands, those expectations of Yahweh to those statutes, commandments and laws to Noah. And then Noah's son, Shem, was actually alive during Abraham's lifetime. He lived all the way into Jacob's lifetime. If you were to line out their lives on a timetable- that Shem-Noah's son was still alive when Jacob was born, and even well into his life. And so, people just knew the commandments, expectations of Yahweh, and Abraham
observed them. It's when men's lives began to be shortened that Yahweh
called Israel out of the land of Egypt and had these things written down so they could be easily communicated from one generation to the next. Now, in term of Ten Commandments only doctrine, there's a lot of things that contradict that notion. Paul, himself in Acts 23, verse 2 says
The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him-Paul- to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "Elohim will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" And those who stood by said, "Do you revile Elohim's high priest?" Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. He recognized it was wrong. By what notion? - Nothing in the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 22 verse 28 - You shall not revile Elohim, nor curse a ruler of your people. I wonder how many people keep this command when you think about it. We live in a foreign nation, and yet, there are rulers here-we're supposed to show them proper respect-including the President-including the politicians. Even those who are doing things
contrary to the law as this high priest was doing. So, Paul, himself
adhered to that precept that was not from the Ten Commandments. How about Romans 12:19
Beloved, do no avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says Yahweh. Where's he getting this from? Therefore, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Where'd he get that? Not in the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 32 verse 35-Vengeance is Mine, - recompense is His-it's His to repay-their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them. Proverbs 25:21-If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you. He didn't get that idea from the Ten Commandments. If the Ten Commandments were the only thing important, then why is he quoting these other things? Another example-
1 Corinthians 9:5-7 - Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles, the brothers of the Master, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? In other words, he's not coming up with this stuff on his own. For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." He is quoting this verse that's not even directly speaking of providing for those who minister to you as justification for providing for those who do minister to you. He says-Is it the oxen Elohim is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be a partaker of his hope. Where's he getting this verse-you shall now muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain? Not from the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 25 verse 4 from the Torah-that's where he got it. How about First Peter
1:13-Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Yahushua Messiah; as obedient children not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, - they like to do this a lot - because it is written-where? - in the law - "Be holy, for I am holy." In other words, the law has authority, the law of Yahweh is authoritative and that's why Paul says, "I don't speak as a mere man".
No! This is coming right from Yahweh's mouth!
And it's written, therefore, so that's why they did it.
Leviticus 19 verse 2-"Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I Yahweh your Mighty One am holy'". That's where they're getting the doctrines. So, not
only do the apostles get their doctrines from the law; they got their doctrines from going beyond the Ten Commandments as things that were necessary for them to obey. Yahushua himself, lived by more than just the Ten Commandments.
Matthew 4 verse 5-The devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are the Son of Elohim, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and 'in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Yahushua said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt Yahweh your Elohim.'" Where is that in the Ten Commandments? Nowhere.
Deuteronomy 6! Remember we were reading Deuteronomy 5? Here's one of the things that was commanded in Deuteronomy 6 as the things that Yahweh said He would tell Moshe and pass it along. "You shall not tempt Yahweh your Mighty One as you tempted Him in Massah". So, Yahushua was not deceived-He fought back with his deception with His spiritual sword, which was contradicting Satan's interpretation - Yahweh's Words. Yahushua liked to say that - "It is written". Where is it written? In the Torah-Deuteronomy-that's where He got it.
Earlier in chapter 4 verse 2 from Matthew-And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If you are the Son of Elohim, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim.'" Now, He could've said, "Well, it's not in the Ten Commandments so I can do what I want". No, Yahushua reaffirmed what Yahweh had already said. We should live-not just by the Ten Commandments, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim-every word- every word-every word. And certainly, the Word of Yahweh has more than just Ten Commandments. In fact, Yahweh's Word-where He got this from is in Deuteronomy 8.
He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man, lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Yahweh. Everything that comes out of His mouth-we live by. And our trials teach us we must live by every word that Yahweh speaks. That's why He gave them a humbling and a hungering,so they'll live; they'll learn-it's not bread by which we live-it is Yahweh's Word-the spiritual bread that we need in order to live. So, every word.
Not just Ten Commandments-every word. You know it's kind of regrettable because when people think of the law, they think of some list of rules of do's and don'ts- you know, very legalistic mindset toward that. And I find that really troubling because the word that's translated law, is actually the Hebrew word Torah, which means to instruct-to teach. Law is not a very good translation. A more correct translation would be instruction and teaching. And so, I mean, think about this - those who say, "Well, the law is abolished" - they're gonna find it a whole lot harder to say it more Hebraically and say, "His instruction is abolished; His teaching is abolished." I mean how can you abolish teaching and instruction? It doesn't make any sense. It would sound like a whole more difficult sell, wouldn't it? But they translated it law. But, you know, in the New Testament, there are like over 200 quotes from the Torah and other parts of the Old Testament, where it's backing up what its claims are. From the law, from the prophets, from the writings, from the Psalms-many, many places. And actually, we see here-Romans chapter 10 verse 6
It says-the righteousness of faith speaks in this way,- verse 6- "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is to bring Messiah down from above) or, '"'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach). Think about this-he is quoting from, actually, the book of Deuteronomy here. And it says the word is near you-it's in your mouth, it's in your heart. What word? The word of faith which we preach, and the word and the Messiah are seen here as being synonomous. Who will descend into the abyss to bring the word? - that's to bring Messiah up from the dead. Who will ascend into heaven to bring the word? - that's to bring Messiah down from above. No, he says you don't have to go anywhere- he says it right there-it's near you-it's in your mouth, it's in your heart-it's right there. And this comes right from
Deuteronomy 30:11-13-"For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Where is it? It's very near you-it's in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. And actually, I read from the Dead Sea Scrolls this week-this very scripture-it says is with you-another thing-it says it's with you-you can carry it with you that you may do it. And so, there it is! It's not far away-believe it or not-the law was in the heart of Israel-not a new doctrine whatsoever. It was in the heart of the children of Israel. Jeremiah 30 said so, and he's relating this to the Messiah in the book of Romans-saying we have the word also in our heart because we have
Yahushua the Messiah dwelling there, and that-because He is the living word that was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we live by every word proceeding out of Yahweh's mouth. When the Messiah Yahushua is here in our hearts-then two things happen-all of our disobedience goes away because now I have Yahushua dwelling in there with His offering on the tree, and we have the ability and the power to do it-to obey it because of who dwells in us. If you say the law is in your heart, wouldn't obedience to the law be reflected then in the outer layer? But such is not the case by many who claim the law is on their heart or written in their heart. Because if Yahushua is the word-He's not just the word in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He's the word in Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians-He's the word in the Psalms-He's the word in the writings-1 Kings, 2 Kings, Chronicles, Samuel, Joshua and so on. And He's also the word in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy-He's the whole Word. So, all of Yahweh's commandments are written right here. Yahushua lived by every word that proceeded out of Yahweh's mouth, and so Yahweh
told them - I've set before you today life and good, death and evil, "in that I command you today to love Yahweh your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; - He wants them to live - and Yahweh your Mighty One will bless you in the land which you go to possess. He wants to bless them when the word's in their heart that they may do it. But that's more than just ten
commandments--more than just ten. So, is the whole word on your heart today? That's an important question. Or do certain parts of the word, we feel like we can reject- certain parts of how Yahushua lived, we don't want to do? If one says they have the word on their heart - they say Yahushua lives in them, then surely our actions would mirror Yahushua's actions through obedience to the Word- not just parts of it, but every word that proceeds out of Yahweh's mouth. And there are many other scriptures that we could point to-to suggest that the apostles in the first century were doing just that. Second Corinthians
6:14 says-Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? What accord has Messiah with Belial? What part has a believer with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of Elohim with idols? For you are the temple of the living Elohim. As Elohim has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people."
Therefore, "Come out from among them-don't be unequally yoked- that's where he's getting this scripture-"Come out from among them and be separate, says Yahweh. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says Yahweh Almighty." Therefore,- you should never begin a chapter with "therefore", but verse-Chapter 7 the very next verse - having these promises, What promises? - I will be a Father to you-you shall be my sons and daughters-don't touch the unclean-I will receive you-come out from among them-don't be equally yoked with unbelievers- unequal yoking-let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of Elohim. There's uncleanness of the flesh and there's uncleanness of the spirit. Uncleanness of the flesh is the partaking of things that are unclean and putting them into your flesh-into your body. Paul obviously knows what the readers of his letters-would know what it means by uncleanness of the flesh and the spirit. Those unclean of the spirit-their heart is defiled-our mind is defiled and therefore our spirit is defiled. Now, when the temple stood, it was forbidden for anyone or anything unclean to come near or to enter in. Therefore, we would not want to put any unclean things into our temple, which is our bodies-the temple of the Holy Spirit. Yahweh
identifies certain things as being unclean-pork and shellfish, He calls abominations. And so, why would the commandments regarding these things be ignored? Well, people have their reasons, but one reason is-people don't wanna look Jewish, and they like their pork-they like their shellfish-they want their shrimp and so on. But we don't wanna be ignorant; we wanna live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Yahweh, and cleanse ourselves of all defilement, all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit. This is speaking both physical and
spiritual uncleanness. And so, if the Spirit of Yahweh is in us- not an unclean spirit leading us-what's going to happen?
We're gonna glorify Him with our bodies. It says - Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from Elohim, - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - For you were bought at a price; - you're not your own - you don't belong to yourself - your body does not belong to you - your body is not yours - you were bought - He bought you at a price-His blood - therefore, glorify Elohim in your body and in your spirit, - two things we must glorify Elohim in-our bodies and our spirit - therefore, refuse the uncleanness of things that go into your body and the unclean spirits that would seek to enter your body as well. The works of the flesh are disobedience to Yahweh's Law-walking in the spirit involves keeping
Yahweh's Law. Ezekiel 36:27- "I will put My Spirit within you - what's gonna happen? He puts the Spirit in you - and cause you to - what? - walk in His statutes, keep His judgments and do them. That's what's going to happen. When His Spirit is in you- when His Word is in you - when the Messiah is in you, that's what's going to happen according to prophecy. That's what's going to happen. Well, the Spirit's in us now, so what's gonna happen? What are we going to do? Are we going to reject
courtrooms,and from public places and we find more and more lawns where the Ten Commandments are posted there on the lawn and businesses will put the Ten Commandments in their window and things like that. And, I think that's great. The Ten Commandments-I am all for the Ten Commandments - very important commandments. And they find that you know, something important. I'm glad they find it important because it is important. However, I've noticed - I once went to a business owner who had the Ten Commandments in his window, and I asked him - I said, "Do you believe in keeping these Ten Commandments? He affirmed he did. And I, said, "What about this one right here", and I pointed the fourth commandment, saying Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. I said, "Do you do that one"? He said "yes". So, I said, "Well, what day is the Sabbath"? There was a little pause, and he said, "Well, it is Saturday, but we do it on Sunday." "Okay, so, are you remembering the Sabbath if you're not doing it on the day that's called Sabbath"? He said, "Well, as long as you keep one day out of seven." And I said, "Okay, well, I understand that's your viewpoint and I respect you, but what day really is the Sabbath?" He said, "Well, it's Saturday." And we went back and forth on this for a while - nothing hostile or anything. And he finally said, "Well, you know, I've been blessed in my life, so I don't think He's mad at me for that." To which I said, "Well yeah, a lot of people are blessed - that doesn't mean that He hates you for doing something He never said to do or doing different than what He said to do, but, you know - I'm bringing this to you - bringing it to your attention, and I encourage you to pray about it." But it's right there in the Ten Commandments - actually as written - sort of a witness - not only against the world but against the one who put the sign up there. Another time I talked to a pastor about the Sabbath Day, and I said, "Well, you know, what day does the Bible say the Sabbath is"? And he said, "Well, it's on what we call 'Saturday'". I went to the same point again with him, and eventually he just admitted that he wasn't following the Bible, and that was pretty much the end of the conversation. So, anyway, the Ten Commandments are important, but if we're gonna promote them, I think we actually ought to keep them as written, rather than making a reason to change it - mix and match and move things around. So, but anyway, aside from that-as important
certain parts of His statutes, His judgments and refuse to do them, and say they're all done away with - we don't do that? Or are we gonna live by every word that proceeds from Yahweh's mouth? That's the question. I know some of you are saying, "What about the stoning - are we gonna stone people now? Those laws were given to the judges of Israel - those were sentencing guidelines for crimes that were committed in the nation of Israel; they were never supposed to be done by the common people. Just like in our own nation today - we have people that are assigned to handle sentencing of crimes-judges. You don't hand out speeding tickets yourself and take people to your house and give them court, right? No, there are people who have those jobs. And the same was true in ancient Israel. And so, it's a mistake to think that Yahweh - even if you lived in the Old Testament time period - He would be expecting you to go around stoning people that you see committing sins. That's not the way it worked - that's called vigilante justice. Everything had to be handled by judges in a court of law, according to witnesses and different things had to come forward to demonstrate crimes were committed. You didn't have the authority to go around stoning people. So, when I say every word that proceeds from his mouth, we gotta understand what the word's saying - not just run with every little thing and think that that's for us. There are things that we're not intended - like - most of the sacrificial laws had to do with what you do when sin happens. What's the sin? That's what we need to identify - what's the sin? And those were things added because of transgression - because people did wrong things, He had to show them that there was gonna be a Savior one day, and that's what all those things pointed to and always pointed to - Yahushua HaMaschiach. But the fact that that existed doesn't mean His Law was done away with. The sacrifices were never permitted to be performed completely by any one human being - I should say by all of Israel - they were supposed to be performed by a priest. The priest would be the one sprinkling the blood on the altar or making the burnt offering. Those were commandments that had to involve a priest. Can you do that now? Of course, you can't. So, we live by every word that we are able to live by in our time period - that we happen to live in. Yahweh is not this cruel ogre that's gonna say, "Well, sorry, you didn't do this - you're going to hell." No - He's like us - we're parents - hopefully many of you are parents. You look at children - you don't tell your nine-year-old to go drive a car and go to town. You don't give them something that is pretty much impossible for him to do and expect him to do it. Yahweh's reasonable - He understands - He's not as cruel as you might think He is. But the Old Testament is not done away with - it's very much alive, very much-very much alive.
Because the Word of Elohim is living - Hebrews 4:12 - and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. What's the Word of Elohim in those days? You know there was no New Testament completed there? When the book of Hebrews was written, it was just the Old Testament mainly, and I think a few letters here and there by the apostle regarding scripture. We don't know when Hebrews was even written, but the bottom line is - He wasn't just talking about Paul's writings! LOL! Wherever the Word of Elohim existed is living - it's powerful - sharper than a two-edged sword - it's alive and
Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. That's what sin actually is - by definition - it's violating that Word called the Law. It must be alive - must be living - must be powerful - capable of condemning - apart from those who have Messiah dwelling in them. And you might think the law is carnal - fleshly. The truth is
the law is spiritual - Romans 7:14. The problem is - we are carnal - that's the problem. The law isn't the problem - we are the problem. But as we've seen, there is more to His law than just the Ten Commandments.
More than. So, I ask the question - would those who willfully and defiantly continue to transgress Yahweh's Law after accepting and believing in Messiah be those who're walking in the Spirit? I say - how can you be? If you're defiant against His Word - intentionally, knowing you should do it and saying, "I don't wanna do it", you're not walking in His Spirit - you're walking in condemnation - you're walking a dangerous, dangerous line. Because the works of the flesh will only lead you to the Lake of Fire. Scripture says - They
that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded - walking after the flesh - what's it lead to? - death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. What do you wanna be - carnally minded or spiritually minded? How can you tell the difference? Oops! I don't know how I got that word "God" in there. Pardon me while I fix that. I don't believe in calling Yahweh by that title, so I'm going to change it. Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim - the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim, and that's why it leads to death. So, how do we identify whether or not we have this carnal mind or a spiritual mind? Well, we see here the carnal mind is not subject to the law of Elohim - that means it's not obedient - it's not subjecting itself to the Law of Elohim. It doesn't say just the Ten Commandments. As we've seen, the apostles, the Messiah - everyone was yielding their hearts to not just the Ten Commandments, but to the entirety of Yahweh's Word. So, if we want to have the spiritual mind - that is walking in the statutes and judgments and commandments of Elohim, then let's do it. And set the carnal mind aside, which seeks to lead us into a different place - which is death. I don't write the mail; I'm just the delivery boy here. But you know what? What the Word says - no way around it I know of. Those who are in Yahushua and are walking in the Spirit are those who willingly subject themselves to Yahweh's Law. Only those who would be carnal minded would be refusing to do so. Now, I'm not
suggesting that everyone who ever lived who didn't keep the Sabbath the right way or did everything - that I think they're going to Hell. I don't believe that necessarily is true. If their heart was yielded to Yahweh's Word, and they wanted to do His Will - they just didn't realize that they were supposed to do this particular commandment over here or over there. They're walking in the Spirit - they just didn't hear that part yet - that's all. It's a process of discipleship - a process of sanctification, but at some point in their life, they thought, "You know, I really need to be keeping the Sabbath, or I really need to be doing this", and then they say, "Well, I don't know - all these people around me aren't doing it - I'll just kind of go along with the crowd". That's where the danger lies. We wanna be spiritually minded, and so, we're gonna yield ourselves to whatever Yahweh says - the Ten Commandments, the other commandments - wherever, however, whatever. Because Yahweh said it, we believe it, we do it - that settles it - simple as that. The Word of Yahweh is spiritual, and that's why Yahushua said -
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, - in the Hebraic mind, the word "spirit" is related to the word wind and breath. With the breath,we speak our words. So, The words I speak to you are spirit, and they are life, Yahushua said. They are spirit. Very interesting - it's not wrong. It's needful for a spiritual person to subject themselves to what the Spirit is saying - the words are spirit, and they are life. And Yahushua is not just the Word in representing spirit to us in the book of John chapter 6, but also Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Peter, Revelation, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers, Exodus, and so on. It's all His Word - it's all spirit - the law's spiritual. We wanna be spiritual, so will subject ourselves to what the Spirit is leading us to do. So-
What do we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! Romans 6:1-2 - How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? How could we? How could we do such a thing? But if we mess up, we have an advocate
First John 2:1-3 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahushua Messiah the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, - Boy! - This will cut right to the chase! Whether you really know Him is determined by whether you do what? Keep His commandments. That's how He knows. Oh, so this person over here keeps the commandments - therefore, they must know the Messiah - simple as that!
Verse 4-6 - He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, - what are they? - they're liars, - you don't keep the commandments - they claim to know Messiah but not willing to observe commandments - they're lying to you - they don't know Him at all. If you know Him, His Word will be in you, and Messiah will be in you and if you know Him and He knows you, then you will do just like He did - you will live just like He lived - you will live your life like He lived His life. Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Elohim is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. So, love and keeping the Word are in the same sentence here - they're the same thing - love and keeping the Word! He who says he abides in Him - you claim that you abide in Messiah - you claim to know Him - you claim to love Him - then you ought what? Also, to walk just as He walked. Who walked? Yahushua walked. If you claim to know Messiah - if you claim to love Elohim - if you claim to know Him, then you are going to walk just as Messiah walked - you're going to keep the Word - you're going to keep the commandments - essentially, you're going to live like Yahushua lived His life - you're going to love - you're going to love - that's the bottom line. And what's it mean to love?
Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 5 says: "You shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. That's out of the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6 - five verses after He began to say, "Okay, now hear the commandments - what He told me to tell you." Leviticus 19:18 - 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself - You might remember these two great commandments - Yahushua said in Matthew 22:40 - "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." On those two great commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. That being the case, what he
said back here about love - what he said back here about commandments - what he said back here about - that means every
commandment written in the law has love in mind - love is its intent. Every word proceeding from Yahweh's mouth is instruction for us ultimately in how to love. So don't try and cut the law off of the two commandments upon which they hang - it's all one and the same. And so, we see
He who abides in Him would walk also as Messiah walked. And how did Messiah walk? He kept every single commandment. He kept
every single one, which meant He kept the two most important - to love Yahweh, and to love His fellow man. But the two greatest commandments certainly are what the Ten Commandments and all of the Law of Yahweh is all about and the Prophets are all about. And if He dwells in us, He will keep those commandments in us that He kept when He was on the earth because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the Spirit He
gives us and the new heart He gives us. Ezekiel 36:26-27 - "I will give you a new heart and a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. - It's pliable - "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. With this new heart now that we have received from the Messiah Yahushua - create in me a clean heart - enabling us to keep the commandments - it's all one and the same - no differentiation saying, "Well only the Ten Commandments." It never says that.
And by this we know that we abide in Him, - First John 4:13-15 - and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Yahushua is the Son of Elohim, Elohim abides in him, and he in Elohim. And what's it mean to abide in Him? To know Him is to keep His commandments - not just the ten - every word proceeding from His mouth. Don't believe a lie - now you're free to break the
commandments now. He'll judge the world for doing it, but you- He'll let you slide. So, what we really need to do is simply focus on Yahushua's life and seek to emulate it. WWYD - that should settle everything! He's the Word - He's the answer here! And Yahushua - if He dwells in us - He's going to do what He did on the earth. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And what is it He said?
"It's written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim.'" So, if Yahushua loved Yahweh with all of his
heart and certainly loved us so very much - if He kept the Sabbath, we keep the Sabbath - if He kept the Feast days, we keep the Feast days - if He wore the tassels, I wear the tassels - if He only ate clean foods, I'll eat only the clean foods. If He claimed the name of Yahweh - if He loved the brethren enough to give His life for them - if He obeyed the Law of Yahweh, which I know He did - then may Yahweh bless you as you also seek to walk as He walked. If He loved His enemies - we must love our enemies - if He blessed those who reviled Him - we likewise ought to do. That's all the evidences - the whole picture of who He is can be manifested in our lives when we seek not just to walk by the Ten Commandments, but by every word proceeding from His mouth. So contrary to popular doctrine today - those who do not wish to do those things - they're not walking as He walked - they're not walking according to the newness of the Spirit - they're carnally minded - maybe ignorantly. But listen - I wanna walk in the Spirit as much as I'm able and willing - I'm willing to - I may fail from time to time. I don't see myself as a person that, you know, I'm condemned if I make a mistake, but what are we pursuing? That's the question. We're pursuing to walk right behind Messiah in step - where His feet have walked, we want to walk. And so, let's be among those who do that -living by every word proceeding from the mouth of Yahweh - not just the Ten Commandments. And so, as you do so my brothers and sisters, may Yahweh bless you, and may Yahweh truly have mercy on us all.
as the Ten Commandments are - is that really all that He requires of us, or does He want more than that? Is He looking for more than just the Ten Commandments or is it just the Ten Commandments only that we have to observe? I've heard people say something to the effect of
"Well, as long as we keep the Ten Commandments, that's the main thing, you know - if we miss the other parts of the Law,it's really no big deal - just mainly focus on keeping the Ten Commandments." And while I appreciate the simplicity of that statement, I think - I guess maybe some people are trying to cut through the confusion, you know - what we're supposed to do or what we're not supposed to do. But based on a thorough review of Yahweh's Word, it's simply not a true statement. He wants us to observe more than just the Ten Commandments. I've heard other folks say, "Well, in Deuteronomy 5:22, Yahweh said He added no more to the Ten Commandments, so really, that's all He really requires of us are the Ten Commandments and any other commandments that may branch off of that." And so, we get to looking here at
Deuteronomy 5:22, and we read it in context. Actually,Yahweh is listing the Ten Commandments here. He says - You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, you shall not covet your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. These words Yahweh spoke to all your assembly,- Moshe, speaking here - in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. And on that basis, the fact that He said that He added no more, we see that people were saying, "Well, there's really nothing else besides that - the Ten Commandments-that's the main thing." Well, the Ten Commandments were given to Moshe, and since, you know, He says He added no more - does that mean He intended to add no more beyond that? Some say, "Well, the Ten Commandments were inside of the Ark, the book of the Law was outside the Ark. So really, all He wanted was for them to keep the Ten Commandments - the other stuff was more of like an add-on thing-
you know because they sinned with the golden calf, so Yahweh had to add some extra laws to keep them in line." And they say, "Well you know, we really only have to keep the Ten Commandments-maybe the other various laws that fall under the Ten Commandments categories-you know, like sexual immorality would fall under adultery-things like that." Now, some of you have probably never heard this before, but the teachings out there, and you have to be aware of it. And so, we're gonna address that, and we're gonna address some other things related to-Do We Only Have to Keep The Ten Commandments? So, let's continue reading here in Deuteronomy 5, and it says
"So, it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. "And you said: 'Surely Yahweh our Mighty One has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that Elohim speaks with man; yet still lives. 'Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of Yahweh our Mighty One anymore, then we shall die.
'For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living Elohim speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 'You go near and hear all that Yahweh our Mighty One may say and tell us all that Yahweh our Mighty One says to you, and we will hear and do it.' You go there Moshe-we're not holy enough. Now some will look at these words and say, "Well, Israel was wrong for not wanting to hear Yahweh's Words." And they'll quote the book of Hebrews to justify that thought.
Hebrews 12:18 says-For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. Then they point that out-"Oh, they don't wanna hear the word-they begged not to have to hear the word again". But why didn't they want to have to hear the word? Because they were afraid- not because they didn't wanna do it. We just read where
it says-we'll hear it, we'll do it-we're willing to do it but this, you know, the props here, I mean the fire, the blackness and darkness and the sound of the trumpet scared us to death!
Verse 20-For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow." And so, terrifying was the sight that Moshe said-"I am exceedingly afraid and trembling." So, even Moshe was scared over what was going on. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living Elohim, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels. So, the law-
the giving of the Torah-the giving of the Law of Yahweh has a certain amount of glory to it- in that-this is the way of righteousness-walk in it. But there's also something in the law that- even apart from the smoke and the tempest and these things-the smoke and the darkness and the blackness-all these things. Besides all that-just the fact that it speaks to us that we're supposed to be doing this, and we haven't done it-we fail, apart from Messiah, condemned. But with Messiah, we don't look at the law as something that can condemn us, we look at something to convict us-to correct us-to lead us to righteousness. So, the Ten Commandments have that role still. But-
we're not relying upon it for salvation because we have come to the heavenly Jerusalem-the living Elohim-to an innumerable company of angels, and so on.
to the general assembly and congregation of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to Elohim the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Yahushua the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on the earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven. So, he's putting even greater emphasis on the need to hear Yahweh's voice now than even then. But taking these statements here and kind of ran with them saying, that, you know, "Because the book of Hebrews says they refused Him who spoke on the earth, the Israelites were wrong for asking Moses-Moshe to hear from Yahweh and Moshe speak to them rather than them hearing Yahweh's Words directly from the mountain". The evidence that they refused Yahweh who spoke from heaven is not that they didn't want to hear Yahweh's Words directly, but because they quickly turned aside from those words, and made a golden calf.
That's why it says they didn't wanna hear the Word-they did not want to obey the Words is because they refused Him. They did-
they refused what Yahweh had said.
Because
they disobeyed. Okay? They weren't against hearing the Word, but they did not
obey the Word, and therefore,
they refused Him who spoke on the earth. But some would take these statements and suggest, "Well, that's proof of their hardness of heart- they didn't wanna hear these words." That's not what it says though-if that's how you wanna interpret it, you're gonna have to find somewhere other than Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20 because look what it says-
It says-'You go near and hear all that Yahweh our Mighty One may say and tell us-tell us all that Yahweh our Mighty One says to you, and we will hear it and we'll do it.' They were willing to hear it, but they were just afraid because of the props that He had going on out there. So then, Yahweh heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and Yahweh said to me: 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. He wasn't upset at what they said-He said they're right-they're right about this. And He said, 'Oh that they had such a heart in them that they would fear me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them-for their own benefit and their children's benefit forever! So, it was to their advantage that they would fear Yahweh so that their lives would be blessed. And I suggest it's to our advantage that we have that same kind of heart in us-that we would fear Him and keep His Commandments. So, He wasn't angry with them for not wanting to hear His Word-they wanted to hear His Words, but the fire and the smoke and tempests and all these things-it was just too much-it was intense. Okay. So, Yahweh was not upset about that-they were right in all they spoke. So, Yahweh himself, would disagree
with anyone who would say they had the wrong kind of thinking-He would disagree-based on what I'm reading here. So, continue reading-
Go and say to them, "Return to your tents." But as for you, -Moshe - stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess. Therefore,you shall be careful to do as Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
You shall walk in all the ways which Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. He's not done.
Now this is the commandment, and these are the statues and judgments which Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear Yahweh your Mighty One, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son, and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged... So, it goes on, and He talks about how in verse 4
how we're supposed to love Yahweh with all of our heart, our soul and all of our strength, and teach them to our children, and so on. He continued to give them commandments in Deuteronomy 6, but they were just-at that point-passed through Moshe and then given to Israel. No sign of Yahweh being unhappy with their decision-He said they're right in all they've spoken. He didn't create additional laws out of disobedience, but rather, out of respect for their fear of Elohim. That's why He went through Moshe at that point. He was going to continue to give them laws, by the looks of it, but he went through Moshe at that point, and those commands He thundered from Sinai were important, and they are part of the Ten Commandments-no question. At that point, when He was done with Ten Commandments, He gave Moshe the tablets of stone-no question. But to say that He was only gonna give them that-that was all He was going to do-there's no sign whatsoever that that was the case. And so, He gave them to Moshe from that point on, and then Moshe-Moses-gave them to Israel. And so all this business about, you know, the so-called Law of Moses-as if Moses was making this all up himself-that it was some temporary thing he was coming up with-NONSENSE! Moses did not invent a bunch of laws-they all came from Yahweh's mouth! To say the Law of Moses and the Law of Yahweh, is basically the same thing. It was just that Moses was the spokesperson-through whom Yahweh gave His laws. And they're all for the good of His people-not some bad thing to put people in bondage. His laws and statutes, His commandments are laws of love-not attempts to put a yoke around their necks. The only time His law will become a yoke around our neck is if were to try to earn our salvation by our obedience to the law-as if we're trying to make our good somehow outweigh our bad-thinking that maybe that will cause Yahweh to accept us. But there is no good that we could do that could possibly make up for our crimes. Imagine a murderer-he murdered somebody. And he goes to the judge, and he says, "You know judge-I've done a lot of good in my life, so I think you ought to set me free." Would that work? No, it wouldn't work. And so, no matter what good we've done, it's not going to make up for the crimes that we've committed. We need a Savior-we need a redeemer-and so, we have Yahushua, who paid that price for us-if we're willing to repent-that means turn away-from breaking those laws-turn toward keeping them. So, we do need to look at other commandments besides just the Ten Commandments. And while it's true that the Ten Commandments are unique standing among us, the Ten Commandments you might say are maybe-some say, "Well they're Yahweh's "Top Ten List". But maybe, they're special, certainly. Yahweh handed the tablets of stone over to Moshe after giving those ten, but it might be that Yahweh just wanted to get Israel's response before He continued giving commandments. I don't really have to know all the reasons and motives He had. I just see clearly He wasn't finished- He had more to say, and He did. Now, one argument against the idea that this is just His "Top Ten List" would be found in Acts 15:19.
where it says-I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to Elohim,- the context of this was-there were Jewish people saying that the Gentiles were not yet saved because they had not been circumcised, and the judgment of the council in Jerusalem was-to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath. In other words, they're going to learn more of what they need to be doing when they-because they observe the Sabbath-they'll be in the synagogues every Sabbath. Now if the Ten Commandments were only this "Top Ten List", I have to ask-why was refraining from things strangled, which would refer to a strangled animal that had the blood still in the meat and drinking blood or you might suggest this is murder because you're guilty of bloodshed. Either way, however you interpret it-doesn't matter, but we have this thing strangled, this drinking blood being with the meat being forbidden. So, where is that in the Ten Commandments? I see sexual immorality, but not-only adultery really is in the Ten Commandments-not sexual immorality in general. And I see things polluted by idols-that would be involving idol worship-that's forbidden, of course in the Ten Commandments, but nothing about the eating of blood, whereas we do have before the Ten Commandments were ever given, a precept in
Genesis 9:4 to Noah, telling him-you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. So, I'm not sure that this is simply like
a "Top Ten List". Maybe it is in some respects, but if that was the case, why didn't they say to Gentiles, "Well you focus on keeping the Ten Commandments?" He just said, "Well Moses has, you know, other things you'll learn about in the synagogue every Sabbath. And there are a lot of things that are not mentioned in the Ten Commandments that were practiced before Sinai-this was one of them
where they're not to drink blood with the meat. We know that the clean and the unclean
animals. It says-You shall take with you seven of every clean animal, a male and his female; two of the animals that are unclean, a male and his female. And so, Genesis 7:2-this is before Sinai here, right? Before the Ten Commandments were given, and it's not in the Ten Commandments-about anything to do with clean or unclean. We know sacrifices were done by Able, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, so on. They would bring the firstlings of their flock.
Genesis 14:20 says-And blessed be Elohim Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. It says-he gave him a tithe of all. This is Abraham tithing. And in Jacob-this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be Elohim's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You. So, Jacob also tithed-both of them tithed of everything they had.
And so, we see Genesis 26:4 says-I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice, kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws. How did he know about tithing-how did he know about, you know, sacrifices?
How did Noah know about clean and unclean? As if Yahweh was saying, "Well by the way, the clean go here and the unclean go there". How did Noah know all this? There were commandments and statutes and laws long before Sinai. It's just that they were not written down. The reason why they were not written down is simply because they didn't need to be. From Adam to his son Seth-obviously Adam could have communicated-had many, many hundreds of years to communicate Yahweh's Word to Seth. And then Seth lived almost into Noah's lifetime-like seventy years or so prior-he died. So, there have been plenty of people to communicate that will, those commands, those expectations of Yahweh to those statutes, commandments and laws to Noah. And then Noah's son, Shem, was actually alive during Abraham's lifetime. He lived all the way into Jacob's lifetime. If you were to line out their lives on a timetable- that Shem-Noah's son was still alive when Jacob was born, and even well into his life. And so, people just knew the commandments, expectations of Yahweh, and Abraham
observed them. It's when men's lives began to be shortened that Yahweh
called Israel out of the land of Egypt and had these things written down so they could be easily communicated from one generation to the next. Now, in term of Ten Commandments only doctrine, there's a lot of things that contradict that notion. Paul, himself in Acts 23, verse 2 says
The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him-Paul- to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "Elohim will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" And those who stood by said, "Do you revile Elohim's high priest?" Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. He recognized it was wrong. By what notion? - Nothing in the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 22 verse 28 - You shall not revile Elohim, nor curse a ruler of your people. I wonder how many people keep this command when you think about it. We live in a foreign nation, and yet, there are rulers here-we're supposed to show them proper respect-including the President-including the politicians. Even those who are doing things
contrary to the law as this high priest was doing. So, Paul, himself
adhered to that precept that was not from the Ten Commandments. How about Romans 12:19
Beloved, do no avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says Yahweh. Where's he getting this from? Therefore, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Where'd he get that? Not in the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 32 verse 35-Vengeance is Mine, - recompense is His-it's His to repay-their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them. Proverbs 25:21-If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you. He didn't get that idea from the Ten Commandments. If the Ten Commandments were the only thing important, then why is he quoting these other things? Another example-
1 Corinthians 9:5-7 - Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles, the brothers of the Master, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? In other words, he's not coming up with this stuff on his own. For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." He is quoting this verse that's not even directly speaking of providing for those who minister to you as justification for providing for those who do minister to you. He says-Is it the oxen Elohim is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be a partaker of his hope. Where's he getting this verse-you shall now muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain? Not from the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 25 verse 4 from the Torah-that's where he got it. How about First Peter
1:13-Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Yahushua Messiah; as obedient children not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, - they like to do this a lot - because it is written-where? - in the law - "Be holy, for I am holy." In other words, the law has authority, the law of Yahweh is authoritative and that's why Paul says, "I don't speak as a mere man".
No! This is coming right from Yahweh's mouth!
And it's written, therefore, so that's why they did it.
Leviticus 19 verse 2-"Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I Yahweh your Mighty One am holy'". That's where they're getting the doctrines. So, not
only do the apostles get their doctrines from the law; they got their doctrines from going beyond the Ten Commandments as things that were necessary for them to obey. Yahushua himself, lived by more than just the Ten Commandments.
Matthew 4 verse 5-The devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are the Son of Elohim, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and 'in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Yahushua said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt Yahweh your Elohim.'" Where is that in the Ten Commandments? Nowhere.
Deuteronomy 6! Remember we were reading Deuteronomy 5? Here's one of the things that was commanded in Deuteronomy 6 as the things that Yahweh said He would tell Moshe and pass it along. "You shall not tempt Yahweh your Mighty One as you tempted Him in Massah". So, Yahushua was not deceived-He fought back with his deception with His spiritual sword, which was contradicting Satan's interpretation - Yahweh's Words. Yahushua liked to say that - "It is written". Where is it written? In the Torah-Deuteronomy-that's where He got it.
Earlier in chapter 4 verse 2 from Matthew-And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If you are the Son of Elohim, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim.'" Now, He could've said, "Well, it's not in the Ten Commandments so I can do what I want". No, Yahushua reaffirmed what Yahweh had already said. We should live-not just by the Ten Commandments, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim-every word- every word-every word. And certainly, the Word of Yahweh has more than just Ten Commandments. In fact, Yahweh's Word-where He got this from is in Deuteronomy 8.
He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man, lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Yahweh. Everything that comes out of His mouth-we live by. And our trials teach us we must live by every word that Yahweh speaks. That's why He gave them a humbling and a hungering,so they'll live; they'll learn-it's not bread by which we live-it is Yahweh's Word-the spiritual bread that we need in order to live. So, every word.
Not just Ten Commandments-every word. You know it's kind of regrettable because when people think of the law, they think of some list of rules of do's and don'ts- you know, very legalistic mindset toward that. And I find that really troubling because the word that's translated law, is actually the Hebrew word Torah, which means to instruct-to teach. Law is not a very good translation. A more correct translation would be instruction and teaching. And so, I mean, think about this - those who say, "Well, the law is abolished" - they're gonna find it a whole lot harder to say it more Hebraically and say, "His instruction is abolished; His teaching is abolished." I mean how can you abolish teaching and instruction? It doesn't make any sense. It would sound like a whole more difficult sell, wouldn't it? But they translated it law. But, you know, in the New Testament, there are like over 200 quotes from the Torah and other parts of the Old Testament, where it's backing up what its claims are. From the law, from the prophets, from the writings, from the Psalms-many, many places. And actually, we see here-Romans chapter 10 verse 6
It says-the righteousness of faith speaks in this way,- verse 6- "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is to bring Messiah down from above) or, '"'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach). Think about this-he is quoting from, actually, the book of Deuteronomy here. And it says the word is near you-it's in your mouth, it's in your heart. What word? The word of faith which we preach, and the word and the Messiah are seen here as being synonomous. Who will descend into the abyss to bring the word? - that's to bring Messiah up from the dead. Who will ascend into heaven to bring the word? - that's to bring Messiah down from above. No, he says you don't have to go anywhere- he says it right there-it's near you-it's in your mouth, it's in your heart-it's right there. And this comes right from
Deuteronomy 30:11-13-"For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Where is it? It's very near you-it's in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. And actually, I read from the Dead Sea Scrolls this week-this very scripture-it says is with you-another thing-it says it's with you-you can carry it with you that you may do it. And so, there it is! It's not far away-believe it or not-the law was in the heart of Israel-not a new doctrine whatsoever. It was in the heart of the children of Israel. Jeremiah 30 said so, and he's relating this to the Messiah in the book of Romans-saying we have the word also in our heart because we have
Yahushua the Messiah dwelling there, and that-because He is the living word that was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we live by every word proceeding out of Yahweh's mouth. When the Messiah Yahushua is here in our hearts-then two things happen-all of our disobedience goes away because now I have Yahushua dwelling in there with His offering on the tree, and we have the ability and the power to do it-to obey it because of who dwells in us. If you say the law is in your heart, wouldn't obedience to the law be reflected then in the outer layer? But such is not the case by many who claim the law is on their heart or written in their heart. Because if Yahushua is the word-He's not just the word in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He's the word in Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians-He's the word in the Psalms-He's the word in the writings-1 Kings, 2 Kings, Chronicles, Samuel, Joshua and so on. And He's also the word in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy-He's the whole Word. So, all of Yahweh's commandments are written right here. Yahushua lived by every word that proceeded out of Yahweh's mouth, and so Yahweh
told them - I've set before you today life and good, death and evil, "in that I command you today to love Yahweh your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; - He wants them to live - and Yahweh your Mighty One will bless you in the land which you go to possess. He wants to bless them when the word's in their heart that they may do it. But that's more than just ten
commandments--more than just ten. So, is the whole word on your heart today? That's an important question. Or do certain parts of the word, we feel like we can reject- certain parts of how Yahushua lived, we don't want to do? If one says they have the word on their heart - they say Yahushua lives in them, then surely our actions would mirror Yahushua's actions through obedience to the Word- not just parts of it, but every word that proceeds out of Yahweh's mouth. And there are many other scriptures that we could point to-to suggest that the apostles in the first century were doing just that. Second Corinthians
6:14 says-Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? What accord has Messiah with Belial? What part has a believer with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of Elohim with idols? For you are the temple of the living Elohim. As Elohim has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people."
Therefore, "Come out from among them-don't be unequally yoked- that's where he's getting this scripture-"Come out from among them and be separate, says Yahweh. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says Yahweh Almighty." Therefore,- you should never begin a chapter with "therefore", but verse-Chapter 7 the very next verse - having these promises, What promises? - I will be a Father to you-you shall be my sons and daughters-don't touch the unclean-I will receive you-come out from among them-don't be equally yoked with unbelievers- unequal yoking-let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of Elohim. There's uncleanness of the flesh and there's uncleanness of the spirit. Uncleanness of the flesh is the partaking of things that are unclean and putting them into your flesh-into your body. Paul obviously knows what the readers of his letters-would know what it means by uncleanness of the flesh and the spirit. Those unclean of the spirit-their heart is defiled-our mind is defiled and therefore our spirit is defiled. Now, when the temple stood, it was forbidden for anyone or anything unclean to come near or to enter in. Therefore, we would not want to put any unclean things into our temple, which is our bodies-the temple of the Holy Spirit. Yahweh
identifies certain things as being unclean-pork and shellfish, He calls abominations. And so, why would the commandments regarding these things be ignored? Well, people have their reasons, but one reason is-people don't wanna look Jewish, and they like their pork-they like their shellfish-they want their shrimp and so on. But we don't wanna be ignorant; we wanna live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Yahweh, and cleanse ourselves of all defilement, all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit. This is speaking both physical and
spiritual uncleanness. And so, if the Spirit of Yahweh is in us- not an unclean spirit leading us-what's going to happen?
We're gonna glorify Him with our bodies. It says - Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from Elohim, - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - For you were bought at a price; - you're not your own - you don't belong to yourself - your body does not belong to you - your body is not yours - you were bought - He bought you at a price-His blood - therefore, glorify Elohim in your body and in your spirit, - two things we must glorify Elohim in-our bodies and our spirit - therefore, refuse the uncleanness of things that go into your body and the unclean spirits that would seek to enter your body as well. The works of the flesh are disobedience to Yahweh's Law-walking in the spirit involves keeping
Yahweh's Law. Ezekiel 36:27- "I will put My Spirit within you - what's gonna happen? He puts the Spirit in you - and cause you to - what? - walk in His statutes, keep His judgments and do them. That's what's going to happen. When His Spirit is in you- when His Word is in you - when the Messiah is in you, that's what's going to happen according to prophecy. That's what's going to happen. Well, the Spirit's in us now, so what's gonna happen? What are we going to do? Are we going to reject
courtrooms,and from public places and we find more and more lawns where the Ten Commandments are posted there on the lawn and businesses will put the Ten Commandments in their window and things like that. And, I think that's great. The Ten Commandments-I am all for the Ten Commandments - very important commandments. And they find that you know, something important. I'm glad they find it important because it is important. However, I've noticed - I once went to a business owner who had the Ten Commandments in his window, and I asked him - I said, "Do you believe in keeping these Ten Commandments? He affirmed he did. And I, said, "What about this one right here", and I pointed the fourth commandment, saying Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. I said, "Do you do that one"? He said "yes". So, I said, "Well, what day is the Sabbath"? There was a little pause, and he said, "Well, it is Saturday, but we do it on Sunday." "Okay, so, are you remembering the Sabbath if you're not doing it on the day that's called Sabbath"? He said, "Well, as long as you keep one day out of seven." And I said, "Okay, well, I understand that's your viewpoint and I respect you, but what day really is the Sabbath?" He said, "Well, it's Saturday." And we went back and forth on this for a while - nothing hostile or anything. And he finally said, "Well, you know, I've been blessed in my life, so I don't think He's mad at me for that." To which I said, "Well yeah, a lot of people are blessed - that doesn't mean that He hates you for doing something He never said to do or doing different than what He said to do, but, you know - I'm bringing this to you - bringing it to your attention, and I encourage you to pray about it." But it's right there in the Ten Commandments - actually as written - sort of a witness - not only against the world but against the one who put the sign up there. Another time I talked to a pastor about the Sabbath Day, and I said, "Well, you know, what day does the Bible say the Sabbath is"? And he said, "Well, it's on what we call 'Saturday'". I went to the same point again with him, and eventually he just admitted that he wasn't following the Bible, and that was pretty much the end of the conversation. So, anyway, the Ten Commandments are important, but if we're gonna promote them, I think we actually ought to keep them as written, rather than making a reason to change it - mix and match and move things around. So, but anyway, aside from that-as important
certain parts of His statutes, His judgments and refuse to do them, and say they're all done away with - we don't do that? Or are we gonna live by every word that proceeds from Yahweh's mouth? That's the question. I know some of you are saying, "What about the stoning - are we gonna stone people now? Those laws were given to the judges of Israel - those were sentencing guidelines for crimes that were committed in the nation of Israel; they were never supposed to be done by the common people. Just like in our own nation today - we have people that are assigned to handle sentencing of crimes-judges. You don't hand out speeding tickets yourself and take people to your house and give them court, right? No, there are people who have those jobs. And the same was true in ancient Israel. And so, it's a mistake to think that Yahweh - even if you lived in the Old Testament time period - He would be expecting you to go around stoning people that you see committing sins. That's not the way it worked - that's called vigilante justice. Everything had to be handled by judges in a court of law, according to witnesses and different things had to come forward to demonstrate crimes were committed. You didn't have the authority to go around stoning people. So, when I say every word that proceeds from his mouth, we gotta understand what the word's saying - not just run with every little thing and think that that's for us. There are things that we're not intended - like - most of the sacrificial laws had to do with what you do when sin happens. What's the sin? That's what we need to identify - what's the sin? And those were things added because of transgression - because people did wrong things, He had to show them that there was gonna be a Savior one day, and that's what all those things pointed to and always pointed to - Yahushua HaMaschiach. But the fact that that existed doesn't mean His Law was done away with. The sacrifices were never permitted to be performed completely by any one human being - I should say by all of Israel - they were supposed to be performed by a priest. The priest would be the one sprinkling the blood on the altar or making the burnt offering. Those were commandments that had to involve a priest. Can you do that now? Of course, you can't. So, we live by every word that we are able to live by in our time period - that we happen to live in. Yahweh is not this cruel ogre that's gonna say, "Well, sorry, you didn't do this - you're going to hell." No - He's like us - we're parents - hopefully many of you are parents. You look at children - you don't tell your nine-year-old to go drive a car and go to town. You don't give them something that is pretty much impossible for him to do and expect him to do it. Yahweh's reasonable - He understands - He's not as cruel as you might think He is. But the Old Testament is not done away with - it's very much alive, very much-very much alive.
Because the Word of Elohim is living - Hebrews 4:12 - and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. What's the Word of Elohim in those days? You know there was no New Testament completed there? When the book of Hebrews was written, it was just the Old Testament mainly, and I think a few letters here and there by the apostle regarding scripture. We don't know when Hebrews was even written, but the bottom line is - He wasn't just talking about Paul's writings! LOL! Wherever the Word of Elohim existed is living - it's powerful - sharper than a two-edged sword - it's alive and
Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. That's what sin actually is - by definition - it's violating that Word called the Law. It must be alive - must be living - must be powerful - capable of condemning - apart from those who have Messiah dwelling in them. And you might think the law is carnal - fleshly. The truth is
the law is spiritual - Romans 7:14. The problem is - we are carnal - that's the problem. The law isn't the problem - we are the problem. But as we've seen, there is more to His law than just the Ten Commandments.
More than. So, I ask the question - would those who willfully and defiantly continue to transgress Yahweh's Law after accepting and believing in Messiah be those who're walking in the Spirit? I say - how can you be? If you're defiant against His Word - intentionally, knowing you should do it and saying, "I don't wanna do it", you're not walking in His Spirit - you're walking in condemnation - you're walking a dangerous, dangerous line. Because the works of the flesh will only lead you to the Lake of Fire. Scripture says - They
that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded - walking after the flesh - what's it lead to? - death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. What do you wanna be - carnally minded or spiritually minded? How can you tell the difference? Oops! I don't know how I got that word "God" in there. Pardon me while I fix that. I don't believe in calling Yahweh by that title, so I'm going to change it. Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim - the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim, and that's why it leads to death. So, how do we identify whether or not we have this carnal mind or a spiritual mind? Well, we see here the carnal mind is not subject to the law of Elohim - that means it's not obedient - it's not subjecting itself to the Law of Elohim. It doesn't say just the Ten Commandments. As we've seen, the apostles, the Messiah - everyone was yielding their hearts to not just the Ten Commandments, but to the entirety of Yahweh's Word. So, if we want to have the spiritual mind - that is walking in the statutes and judgments and commandments of Elohim, then let's do it. And set the carnal mind aside, which seeks to lead us into a different place - which is death. I don't write the mail; I'm just the delivery boy here. But you know what? What the Word says - no way around it I know of. Those who are in Yahushua and are walking in the Spirit are those who willingly subject themselves to Yahweh's Law. Only those who would be carnal minded would be refusing to do so. Now, I'm not
suggesting that everyone who ever lived who didn't keep the Sabbath the right way or did everything - that I think they're going to Hell. I don't believe that necessarily is true. If their heart was yielded to Yahweh's Word, and they wanted to do His Will - they just didn't realize that they were supposed to do this particular commandment over here or over there. They're walking in the Spirit - they just didn't hear that part yet - that's all. It's a process of discipleship - a process of sanctification, but at some point in their life, they thought, "You know, I really need to be keeping the Sabbath, or I really need to be doing this", and then they say, "Well, I don't know - all these people around me aren't doing it - I'll just kind of go along with the crowd". That's where the danger lies. We wanna be spiritually minded, and so, we're gonna yield ourselves to whatever Yahweh says - the Ten Commandments, the other commandments - wherever, however, whatever. Because Yahweh said it, we believe it, we do it - that settles it - simple as that. The Word of Yahweh is spiritual, and that's why Yahushua said -
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, - in the Hebraic mind, the word "spirit" is related to the word wind and breath. With the breath,we speak our words. So, The words I speak to you are spirit, and they are life, Yahushua said. They are spirit. Very interesting - it's not wrong. It's needful for a spiritual person to subject themselves to what the Spirit is saying - the words are spirit, and they are life. And Yahushua is not just the Word in representing spirit to us in the book of John chapter 6, but also Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Peter, Revelation, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers, Exodus, and so on. It's all His Word - it's all spirit - the law's spiritual. We wanna be spiritual, so will subject ourselves to what the Spirit is leading us to do. So-
What do we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! Romans 6:1-2 - How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? How could we? How could we do such a thing? But if we mess up, we have an advocate
First John 2:1-3 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahushua Messiah the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, - Boy! - This will cut right to the chase! Whether you really know Him is determined by whether you do what? Keep His commandments. That's how He knows. Oh, so this person over here keeps the commandments - therefore, they must know the Messiah - simple as that!
Verse 4-6 - He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, - what are they? - they're liars, - you don't keep the commandments - they claim to know Messiah but not willing to observe commandments - they're lying to you - they don't know Him at all. If you know Him, His Word will be in you, and Messiah will be in you and if you know Him and He knows you, then you will do just like He did - you will live just like He lived - you will live your life like He lived His life. Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Elohim is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. So, love and keeping the Word are in the same sentence here - they're the same thing - love and keeping the Word! He who says he abides in Him - you claim that you abide in Messiah - you claim to know Him - you claim to love Him - then you ought what? Also, to walk just as He walked. Who walked? Yahushua walked. If you claim to know Messiah - if you claim to love Elohim - if you claim to know Him, then you are going to walk just as Messiah walked - you're going to keep the Word - you're going to keep the commandments - essentially, you're going to live like Yahushua lived His life - you're going to love - you're going to love - that's the bottom line. And what's it mean to love?
Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 5 says: "You shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. That's out of the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6 - five verses after He began to say, "Okay, now hear the commandments - what He told me to tell you." Leviticus 19:18 - 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself - You might remember these two great commandments - Yahushua said in Matthew 22:40 - "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." On those two great commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. That being the case, what he
said back here about love - what he said back here about commandments - what he said back here about - that means every
commandment written in the law has love in mind - love is its intent. Every word proceeding from Yahweh's mouth is instruction for us ultimately in how to love. So don't try and cut the law off of the two commandments upon which they hang - it's all one and the same. And so, we see
He who abides in Him would walk also as Messiah walked. And how did Messiah walk? He kept every single commandment. He kept
every single one, which meant He kept the two most important - to love Yahweh, and to love His fellow man. But the two greatest commandments certainly are what the Ten Commandments and all of the Law of Yahweh is all about and the Prophets are all about. And if He dwells in us, He will keep those commandments in us that He kept when He was on the earth because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the Spirit He
gives us and the new heart He gives us. Ezekiel 36:26-27 - "I will give you a new heart and a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. - It's pliable - "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. With this new heart now that we have received from the Messiah Yahushua - create in me a clean heart - enabling us to keep the commandments - it's all one and the same - no differentiation saying, "Well only the Ten Commandments." It never says that.
And by this we know that we abide in Him, - First John 4:13-15 - and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Yahushua is the Son of Elohim, Elohim abides in him, and he in Elohim. And what's it mean to abide in Him? To know Him is to keep His commandments - not just the ten - every word proceeding from His mouth. Don't believe a lie - now you're free to break the
commandments now. He'll judge the world for doing it, but you- He'll let you slide. So, what we really need to do is simply focus on Yahushua's life and seek to emulate it. WWYD - that should settle everything! He's the Word - He's the answer here! And Yahushua - if He dwells in us - He's going to do what He did on the earth. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And what is it He said?
"It's written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim.'" So, if Yahushua loved Yahweh with all of his
heart and certainly loved us so very much - if He kept the Sabbath, we keep the Sabbath - if He kept the Feast days, we keep the Feast days - if He wore the tassels, I wear the tassels - if He only ate clean foods, I'll eat only the clean foods. If He claimed the name of Yahweh - if He loved the brethren enough to give His life for them - if He obeyed the Law of Yahweh, which I know He did - then may Yahweh bless you as you also seek to walk as He walked. If He loved His enemies - we must love our enemies - if He blessed those who reviled Him - we likewise ought to do. That's all the evidences - the whole picture of who He is can be manifested in our lives when we seek not just to walk by the Ten Commandments, but by every word proceeding from His mouth. So contrary to popular doctrine today - those who do not wish to do those things - they're not walking as He walked - they're not walking according to the newness of the Spirit - they're carnally minded - maybe ignorantly. But listen - I wanna walk in the Spirit as much as I'm able and willing - I'm willing to - I may fail from time to time. I don't see myself as a person that, you know, I'm condemned if I make a mistake, but what are we pursuing? That's the question. We're pursuing to walk right behind Messiah in step - where His feet have walked, we want to walk. And so, let's be among those who do that -living by every word proceeding from the mouth of Yahweh - not just the Ten Commandments. And so, as you do so my brothers and sisters, may Yahweh bless you, and may Yahweh truly have mercy on us all.