We are ready to begin our
study portion for today's
broadcast and you know
this day is very special
to Yahweh; it was a day
that was sanctified
meaning to be set apart
on the seventh day of the week.
And we're told to remember
this day, in the 10
commandments he says
remember this day right
and so this particular day
he wants us to remember it
and to keep it holy.
It is one of many things
Yahweh commands in the
scriptures concerning the
importance of holiness.
We are going to talk about
holiness today because
it's all over the
scriptures from one end to
the other Yahweh talks
of a lot about holiness.
And so it's something I
think we need to be very
very familiar with, and it
also its something that
really has been lost in
our generations today.
And I think we have our
own ideas of what it means
to be holy and then Yahweh
has his statements in his
word where he explains
what it means to be holy
and most of the time it
is not taught in today's
churches and pulpits and
so we need to have a more
correct view of what
holiness truly is.
Sometimes when, I know for me growing up when I thought about someone being a holy person, you know this. I have this picture in my head of some guy wearing a robe and he's very solemn, only he's just kind of looking over the world and kinda thinking everyone else is just so unholy. I don't know that's how, it's not quite how Yahweh sees things but you know that was this picture image in my head when I first began to study the scriptures and, of course, I found out it was totally wrong. If you claim to be a holy person, a holy man or holy woman I mean people don't like to hear that, they don't want to hear you say I am holy it invokes certain negative connotations on our culture and you think you know the truth is we are holy. We're called to be holy as he is holy and you may not think of holiness being the practice of loving your neighbor or giving to the poor or things along those lines but those are acts of holiness and if
there was one word I would say that makes us in terms of those of us who come to understand the importance of the Torah and the Sabbath and the feast days and the name and so on that you could point to and say this is the difference that we need to, I would say it would make the difference between what I believe and what Christianity typically believes, it would be holiness.
And I'm gonna explain exactly why that is. So today's message is entitled understanding holiness, understanding holiness because I really believe a lot of people do not understand what it means. They might know the definitions but they don't really understand the teaching of scripture on holiness. So what does it mean?
The word holy means to be Kodesh or Kadosh meaning holy or holiness. But look here at Ezekiel 22 verse 26 it says; her
priests have violated my law, and profaned my holy things: they have not distinguished between the
holy and the unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Do you catch that? And Yahweh's eyes he became profaned when they did not make the difference between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and the unclean and when they hid their eyes from his Sabbaths. Now there's weekly Sabbath and there are a 7 annual Sabbaths, so we are saying Sabbaths here not just a Sabbath. It was very interesting because a lot of people do not make this connection between Sabbath keeping and clean and unclean separation and holiness, and yet it's something that's clearly taught in the word. And the word again Kodesh means apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness, places, things that are set apart, that are not common. And our English word if you'll look it up in an English dictionary it actually does talk about set-apartness, the word holy here set apart to the service or worship of Elohim, hallowed, sacred, reserve from profane or common use, holy vessels, a holy priesthood. Now some would say the word holy is not a very good translation of Kodesh but this is Webster's revised unabridged dictionary, seems to indicate a pretty close agreement with what we see in the Hebrew. So we're understanding the holiness means to be set apart, to be different, to be sanctified, to be separate from human infirmities, impurities, sins, common things. Maybe a good word could be dedicated, you know Yahweh is very concerned that we are able to know and understand the difference between the holy to separate the common. You have to focus on that or think about that, O this is holy, that's not holy, will that ever enter your mind? Today is a holy day, does that enter your mind? It doesn't necessarily enter Western Gentile minds very often but Yahweh seems to put a lot of emphasis on it and ancient Israel he was very displeased that the priest had done this.
He says, I am profaned, I am profaned among them,
because when people fail to put this difference between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and the unclean Yahweh is profaned and the reason why he is profaned is because we are representing him on the earth and he is not being represented as a holy Elohim when his people refuse to acknowledge holiness and what it really means.
Now one of the things you are going to notice as we go through scriptures is there is a direct connection between holiness and unholiness, between clean and unclean.
And they're both often side by side companion to one another in the scriptures. Now today is a holy day, this particular day we're in right now is considered to be a holy day. And it's a day Yahweh sanctified all creation Yahweh wants us to make a difference between the holy and the unholy. And when he says that he wants us to regard his Sabbaths as we see here, rather than hiding our eyes from them. He is calling us to holiness and we're talking
not just about the weekly Sabbath but the annual 7 holy days. Now when the Messiah returns according to the book of Ezekiel we have unfulfilled prophecies. According to the book of Ezekiel chapter 44 it says this; when they go out to the utter court, to the utter court to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, put on other garments; and their holy garments they shall not sanctify the people. They shall neither shave their heads, nor let their hair to grow long; but they should keep their hair well-trimmed. No priest shall drink wine, when he enters the inner court. They shall not take as a wife or widow, or a divorced woman: but take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or widows of priests. And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. So when the Messiah returns there will be a priesthood that will be operating.
It will be in Jerusalem and they will teach people the difference between the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean. So again we see a connection between unholy, unclean, clean is holy. In controversy they will stand as judges; and judge it according to my judgments: they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed meetings; and they shall hallow my Sabbaths. Hallow, make holy my Sabbaths catch that? So we see here when Yahweh's will is finally done on earth as it is in heaven there will be a people who will learn the difference between the clean the unclean, between the holy and the unholy and they go hand in hand. But we live in a generation, we live in a culture where there have been so many holy things that have been profaned, so many good things have been perverted, so many righteous things that have been corrupted, we have lost some ability to recognize the difference between holiness and unholiness. And even if we saw a difference we wouldn't know what to do with it. But understanding that difference was a problem even in the first century, even in matters of uncleanness for example in Matthew 15 verse 1; the scribes and Pharisees, who were from Jerusalem came to Yahushua, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. He answered and said to them, why do you also transgress the commandment of Elohim because of your tradition? For Elohim commanded, saying, Honor your father and your mother: and, He who curse his father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say whosoever says to his father or his mother, whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to Elohim. Then he need not honor his father or his mother. Thus you have made the commandment of Elohim of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy about you, saying, these men draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching his doctrines the commandments of men. When he called the multitude to himself, he said to them, Hear, and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. Then his disciples came to him, and said, you the
Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying? But he answered and said, every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, will be uprooted. Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a ditch. Then Peter answered and said to him, explain this parable to us. So Yahushua said, Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart; and they defile a man.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. Now much confusion over holiness today, the scribes and Pharisees went to the extreme and said well you eat with unwashed hands then the bread you eat is defiled, you will be defiled. That was not true, and then you have people today who are saying with these verses, well now we can eat all the pork we want and we will not be defiled because what goes in the mouth does not defile a man. And so we still at the other extreme have confusion over clean and unclean, holy and unholy. And what Yahushua was actually saying was that
little dirt on your hands isn't going to defile you. That's not what's going to defile you, and in the context of first century Judaism where nobody ate pork what he said was true.
He wasn't talking to a bunch of swine eaters here, okay. And so what he's telling them yeah what enters your mouth is not going to defile you that was true because they would never consider eating pork or shellfish or unclean things. In fact they were going to the extreme and they were saying well if you even fail to wash your hands first before you eat you will be defiled, he says no. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man, that's the context. But people have taken this and say well you know you can eat pork and you won't be defiled, that's not what Yahushua was teaching. So, what he was teaching was the truth, there are different kinds of defilements, there's different kinds or ways of defiling yourself. And one is, what comes out of your heart, what comes out of your mouth, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, theft, false witness, blasphemies. The things that proceed out of a man's heart defile a man also.
And what they were doing was these very things, they were dishonoring their parents and many other things that they were doing which were actually defiling them while going to an extreme over little dirt going in your stomach.
And with this the book at James also agrees; the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: the tongue is so set among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of Gehenna. For every kind of beasts, and birds, of reptile, and creature of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind: But no one can tame the tongue; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Elohim, and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of Elohim.
And so but this is not the only way in which holiness is misunderstood. Scriptures in the New Testament talk about a holiness in the physical flesh and a holiness in our spirit. Both can be representations of holiness and representations of defilement, both of the heart and in the flesh. And that's a New Testament teaching. 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 says this; therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of Elohim.
So we can be defiled there's a fleshly defilement which has to do with the things we eat, there are teachings about clean and unclean regarding our physical bodies and the flesh Yahweh has given us. And there are also ways of being defiled in our spirit and those are the things that Yahushua was speaking of and the book of James is speaking of.
And so I say let's pay attention to both. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of Elohim. Because the world wants to defile us in many ways, so
there is so much confusion today.
Scripture says in Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20 says; woe to those who call evil good and good evil who put darkness for light, light for darkness bitter for sweet, sweet for bitter, woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own site. Because our culture treats the holy things as just being common, I am afraid the church today has marginalized holy things also as being trivial, outdated and unimportant.
You know I have conversations sometimes with people who say they can hardly believe Yahweh would put to death a man for picking up fire, water, sticks or something whatever it was, logs, firewood on the Sabbath. And when they read that they just laugh, it's so silly in their mind that a man would be put to death for picking up wood on the Sabbath day to them it's so trite, so unimportant, they don't know the
difference between the holy and the unholy.
To Yahweh this was a holy day he set a part of creation and just because our culture has long profaned Yahweh's holy things and regarded it as not being important doesn't make it unimportant.
And for that reason we have the fruits of our culture today we see something in the scripture, we dismiss it as being something of a bygone era that's no longer relevant.
I'm not suggesting we stone people that break Shabbat doesn't worry about that. But the civil law that was in place when there was a nation of Israel was the Sabbath-breaking was just as significant as murder.
As far as a penalty people get they both get the death penalty, adultery death penalty, homosexuality death penalty, the Sabbath-breaking death penalty. Now I didn't say it, Yahweh said it. I'm just telling you what he said. I didn't create the death penalty for Sabbath breaking, Yahweh did. Now if our heavenly father gave a death penalty for breaking the Sabbath does that not show you a little bit that maybe it's kind of important to him? And do you really think that all of a sudden the hour, minute and second that Yahushua died and rose all of a sudden snap doesn't matter anymore? He goes from death penalty to, hey, no problem. Does that really make any sense? The 10 commandments as we've been talking about, and I plan to get back to that study, by the way. You've got the first 4 commandments in 10 commandments deal with how we love Yahweh our heavenly father. And the fifth commandment, maybe on, maybe 5th commandment also would be included but they're speaking about how we love our fellow men. But Yahweh does not want you mixing him up with some idol because he's holy. He's not to be syncretized with unholy religions, unholy practices, pagan rooted traditions because he is holy. That's why I don't observe Christmas, that's why don't observe Easter and all these other Catholic holidays that have been handed down to the Protestants, because we don't want Yahweh to be anything but represented as holy.
And therefore we don't try to honor him with traditions that come from the worship of demons.
And then the third thing is concerned about in the 10 commandments is the holiness of his name. That his name would not be profaned, that was important to him don't take his name in vain. If it's important to him why is it important to us in our culture today his name why is it? Because we live in a culture that has dethroned the most high and people want to create their own Elohim and we've handed down but handed down to our generation many things that are not biblical and a lot of us don't realize it and I understand because that's what we've been given. The fourth thing he is concerned about was the holiness of his day, again not important to our culture, but does that matter? Is Yahweh going to consult our culture when he judges us on our final day? I think he's going to say well, what does my word say, right? He is not going to say what was your culture like oh okay yeah you can profane a Sabbath day that's okay. This other culture of course they can do that, no he is going to consult we have the bible right here, all you got to do is read it, study it. It's there we just need to read it and study it and not let the opinions of men sway us.
He's going to want to know okay 10 commandments how to do 10 commandments?
Were you obedient to those even though nobody else thought it was important? Did you read my word to see how important it was to me? Do you catch that? See where I commanded men to even be put to death for violating the Sabbath day?
But we don't put emphasis today on the things that Yahweh puts emphasis on when he founded the very first things he wanted to say to the children of Israel. I'm holy first of all, I'm holly don't mix me with pagan stuff I'm not any part of that, don't make an idol out of me, don't make images of me, you can't make an image of me, don't worship me and mix me with other things or worship other gods. I don't want that stuff associated with me and don't profane my name. My name is holy and don't profane my day, my day is holy. These are the things that were on his mind when he gave the 10 commandments and so maybe we need to rethink a little bit here maybe we need to just start thinking and let our thinking be more like his thinking and I hope this makes sense to you.
Scripture says that Isaiah 65; I stretched out my
hands all day long to rebellious people who walking away is not good according to their own thoughts a people who provoked me to anger continually to my face, sacrificing gardens and burn incense of altars of brick who set among the graves and spend the night in the tombs who eat swine's flesh and the harbor abominable things in their vessels, who say keep to yourself do not come near me for I am holier than you these are a smoke in my nostrils a fire that burns all the day.
Now if you understand holiness, graves are
unclean places and eating swine's flesh defiles you.
And abominable things in your vessels, the unclean things is an act of defilement and yet these people are saying oh don't come near me I'm holier than you that just he says these are smoking my nostrils of fire that burns all the day. Now I don't know I mean I'm not trying to condemn anybody but why is it that graveyards are often right next to churches? This you know, and they'll even bring a dead body into a church which biblically speaking is you know a very unclean thing.
And yet these, you know he's talking about I don't think he's talking necessarily about the church but I often find that things he had trouble with amongst ancient Israel seem to be very similar to things I see, maybe not quite the exact thing but similar to things I see in modern day Christianity.
So anyway we need to understand this we got to understand that holiness matters according to his definitions we don't get to decide what holiness is, Yahweh does. So are we willing to allow what he says matters to be something that we also say it matters?
We don't want to be calling evil good and good evil bitter for sweet sweet for bitter and be wise in our own eyes.
Holier than thou is actually this, this is holier than thou. That's where you get the term holier than thou right here. You heard some all you just think you're holier than thou. This is the context, the unclean, graves, abominable of things in your pots and vessels and in this case idolatry was associated with these things, nothing wrong with me acknowledging that. But you know let's look at scripture and allow it to
teach us about holiness.
Isaiah 6 verse 1-3; in the year that king Uzziah died
I saw the Master sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of Israel filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Three times holy Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.
Revelation 4:8; the four creatures each of them having six wings; were full of eyes around and within: and yet they do not rest day or night, saying, Holy, Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Yahweh, Sivaot, asher, hayah, wa-u-wa, yahvot who was and is, and is to come. So his holiness is continually being declared in the heavenly places nonstop. Yahweh is holy; he is set apart, set apart from what? From anything that is wicked, anything that is evil, anything that is impure, anything that is not lovely, praiseworthy, of good reports, he is separate from the filth and scour of the world. Yahweh is holy and there is no comparison to his holiness. Exodus 15:11; who is like you, O YAHWEH, among the mighty ones? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 1 Samuel 2:2; no one is holy like Yahweh: there is none beside you: nor is there any rock like our Mighty One. Psalm 22:3; but you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. He is holy but is willing to dwell in our praises, if you want to be in the presence of Yahweh start praising him with sincerity and purity of heart.
Isaiah 63 verse 15 says; look down from heaven, and see from your habitation holy and glorious: where are your zeal and your strength, the yearning of your heart and mercies toward me? Are they restrained?
It's habitation where he dwells as holy and glorious. Deuteronomy 26:15; look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the land which you have given us, just as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. So Yahweh's dwelling place is holy, 2 Chronicles 30:27; the priests, Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, to heaven. Revelation 8:4; the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before Elohim from the angel's hand, to his holy dwelling place. Also his name is holy bless Yahweh on my soul all that is within me bless his holy name. The contemporary song of theirs saying worship his holy name, well what is his holy name? They don't say it, Isaiah 57:15; thus says the high
and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, (but also he's saying) with him who has a contrite and humble spirit. I love that he is in a high and holy place but he's also with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry: for the spirit which fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
Beautiful words there, Psalm 33:21, we have trusted in his holy name, so his name is holy why do
people think his name doesn't matter today because they don't recognize the holiness of the blessings of it, the separateness of it? We to be careful for ourselves brothers and sisters because people when they look at us sometimes they say there are a people of Yahweh something Yahweh something. And so what kind of impression are we leaving by our actions? Are people associating Yahweh's name with righteousness, with love, with goodness, with wisdom, with faithfulness, with humility? Is that what people are associating Yahweh's name with when they see us? Or are we profanity his name by our deeds? Because we have chosen to do what scripture says and call upon his name and praise his name and exalt his name and store his name. And when we do it we have to handle his name in such a way that it does not profane his name by the things that we do. And some people put Yahweh's name on a shirt or a bumper sticker of a car but if you're driving in a way that's you know not becoming of righteousness and you're violating the laws of the land, you're speeding by and you're misbehaving and not treating other people in traffic with respect. How are they going to view whatever this Yahweh name thing is? And you're outside and you got Yahweh's name on your T-shirt and you're smoking a cigarette. Or you're yelling and you're screaming at your children or you're doing other things that we all know is not right be careful about that Yahweh's name is holy. If you're not representing it correctly you're causing his name to be profaned among the people.
I think the fact that Yahweh wants his name to be maintained as holy and associated with holiness and righteousness, I think that is one of the reasons why whenever people start using his name they're also starting to learn about his laws, they start learning about commandments, the clean and the unclean the holiness of the Sabbath, the Torah and all these things because he wants his name to be associated with righteousness and holiness. And that's why Psalm 23 says; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Very few people do I ever see using Yahweh's name and yet are unaware of and disregard Torah or disregard the Sabbath, very rare it does happen but not very often. They often go quite handy and so Yahweh's dwelling place is holy, his name is holy and his spirit is holy. Psalm 51:11 do not cast me from your presence; and do not take your holy spirit from me, Isaiah 63:11;
then he remembered the days of old, Moshe, and his people, saying, where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him? See they had the Holy Spirit in those days, it wasn't missing, it wasn't missing in action, it wasn't MIA they had his holy spirit it's not quite the same manifestation we have today but the Holy Spirit was there. And the arm of Yahweh, Yahushua the Messiah is also holy. Matthew 25:31; when the Son of man comes in his glory, all the holy angels with him, he will sit on the throne of his glory. All nations will be gathered before him: and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.
So the angels of Yahweh are holy, right and Yahushua the Messiah is holy also. Who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed? The arm of Yahweh is our local representation of the Messiah. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form or comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him.
Has the arm of Yahweh been revealed to you, Yahushua HaMashiach?
He wouldn't have beautiful men necessarily in the eyes of many but he was a holy man. Not just like a regular person and maybe that's why they could only believe a man who wasn't all that great looking was the Messiah, you have to wonder about that. Isaiah 52:10; he has made bare his holy arm (that's Yahushua the Messiah) in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our Mighty One.
That means Jews and Gentiles alike will see salvation because Yahweh revealed his holy arm in the eyes of the Gentiles. See it's all predicted hallelujah, Acts 4:27; for
truly against your holy servant Yahushua, whom you anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. He is holy Yahushua is a holy servant of Yahweh, Romans chapter 1; Paul, a born servant of Yahushua Messiah, called to be an apostle, separated to the (good news) gospel of Elohim. Which he promised through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. So his word is holy right, we thought about this a
born servant really is a born servant, has to do what his master tells me the right? So Paul saw himself as one being a born servant of Yahushua, he's a slave of Yahushua and we are born servants also and so we have to do what our master tells us right.
2 Timothy 3:14; we must continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. And that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Messiah Yahushua. So the Torah is holy, Roman 7:12, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. You see even the commandments are holy commandments, now think about this if you want to be holy you see the is holy and just and good,
wouldn't that reason to say that if you keep the commandment you'll be holy just as good as well?
I would think so, so Yahweh's word, his Torah
which people say is abolished nowadays is holy just a holy word. And so when you are observing and keeping the holy word then you are walking in holiness.
Yahushua was the word that became flesh and dwelt among us, he kept every command it perfectly
without fail and that's why he was holy.
And when Timothy was a young child and he learned
the Holy Scriptures, what scriptures are we talking about? It will be the Torah and the prophets, the Old Testament they are still holy, not abolished, done away with, and nailed to a cross--none of that. They are still holding. And that's why Paul said the law is holy just and good. The problem is we haven't been holy just and good and that's why we need a Savior. Scripture speaks of the firstborn males coming from the herd and flock you shall sanctify to Yahweh your Mighty One: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. So the firstborn was supposed to be holy to Yahweh. The most we are reading today probably don't have herds and don't have flocks, but you don't till your land, maybe not: I don't know. But until maybe 100 years ago most people did have herds and flocks and land to till. And actually go further back our culture was dominated by an agrarian lifestyle; in fact most cultures were dominated by that kind of lifestyle. It was only cosmopolitan Romanesque type cities were you know people start to live their life a little differently. But when we look where did Yahweh put men? He put in a big city? He put a man in a garden that's where he created Adam he put in the garden to tender to keep it and that's where he placed man and really that's where he will be happiest I really believe that.
But we got the concrete jungle out there and I'm not saying it's a sin to live in a concrete jungle order working one. But you ever notice that the cities are just you know so far from our natural you know location where we were created to be and you know every election it seems like it's a country folks versus the city folks, this I have observed. Anyway we see that the first born of the flock is considered to be holy, first fruits of your harvest are considered to be holy so what do you do them? Well you can't bring the to a priest, you can't wave or put them in anything like that but you can regard as being holy and don't eat them, don't use them. We try to do that, actually you know, with the first fruits of our garden we don't eat the first fruits and I don't really know what to do with it but I want to honor Yahweh in some ways. And so I've actually lifted him up from the ground and lift them up and throw in the air, says Yahweh it's for you.
And some might suggest its okay to give those to the poor because those were taken into the tithes and in tithes we're giving to the poor--it's another possibility. Another thing that is holy is the year of jubilee, fiftieth year shall be a jubilee to you, Leviticus 25:11; you shall neither sow, nor reap what grows of its accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat its produce from the field. So it's a year that is considered to be holy, now when is the year of jubilee? We have so far removed from holiness that a lot of people don't know when the year jubilee is and it's kind of unclear. Some people believe it's this certain year and it behooves us to try to research and find out when it is. And then there's the land Sabbath. Every 7 years is a land Sabbath seventh year is when the land is supposed to rest and just let what grows of its own accord to grow there. But if farmers today would practice that they wouldn't have the problem with the soil just being overworked and depleted of nutrients.
And so we do and every seventh year on our property here, we don't grow a garden, we just let it go. So we're doing our best to practice holiness, to practice the things that Yahweh has taught us since the transgression of the law. And so we try to avoid sinning and so we seek to keep Yahweh's law otherwise we find ourselves walking in sin and that's something that's considered to be dealing with holiness as observing a land Sabbath as well as a regular day Sabbath during the week. But again our own culture we don't think we're being anything that important why? Because people believe the law has been abolished and allows no holy anymore and the commandment is not just anymore and holy and just and good. But we need to make a difference between the holy and the unholy, me and you, you got more to go. You got more to learn about the will of Yahweh. Yahweh's word is holy; his promise to Abraham actually was holy. Psalm 105 verse 42; for he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. He brought his people with joy, his chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands of the Gentiles: and they inherited the labor of the nations. That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise Yahweh. So his holy promise to Abraham, Psalm 89; once I
have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie to David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Amos chapter 4 verse 2; Master Yahweh has sworn by his holiness, behold, the days will come upon you, when he shall take you away with fish hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. You will go out through broken walls, each one straight ahead of her; and you will be cast into the palace.
Psalm 5:7; as for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy: in thy fear I will worship toward your holy temple. The holy temple, the temple is holy, the dwelling place is holy, his name is holy, he is holy, he can swarm no one cares so he swore by his own holiness.
As we spoke of earlier a Sabbath was and is holy, he said to them this is what Yahweh has said, tomorrow is a Sabbath rest a holy Sabbath to Yahweh: bake what you will bake today, boil what you will boil; lay up for yourselves all that remains be kept until morning. So that means on the Sabbath day we don't bake and we don't boil and we just keep whatever we do have a time before the next day.
It's a day of rest, remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. It's already holy, isn't it is ironic that the day that Yahweh says remember is a day that everyone forgets?
It's a day of O lets go shopping, let's have a barbecue pork roast on a Sabbath for the church to raise money for this or for that.
It's like a common day and Yahweh right there in scripture says it's holy, and some people think well I can do my own day I can say Sunday my day of rest or Tuesday or some other day. There is no point making a day holy if it's not holy to begin with. Yahweh decides what's holy, not you, not me not anybody; he decides what day is holy.
He decided the Sabbath was holy on the seventh day of creation and when he made that decision it says he blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it and yes
we can trace the seventh day of the week in our modern week all way back to Yahushua's day it's all far I need to go. And a 7-day cycle has never been broken, it can be demonstrated historically. So it's a holy day there's no point in keeping some other day as a holiday and yet the whole church world is going to church every Sunday treating Sunday like their holy day. Well, nice, but it's not a holy day okay, it's not;
you're not making the difference between the holy and the unholy between the common and the holy we have to make that difference because we're called to be holy people, holy people do not defile holy things.
And so Yahweh tells them do not forget it and yet it's the one everyone forgets, he says remember it. You know Yahushua will seem like he was always doing something to the multitudes, David the king always seen to be doing something a little different than what people expected, Abraham seemed to be doing something a little different than the multitudes you know, we're in pretty good company. Disciples always seen to be doing something different than the rest of the world were doing. So we're in good company for doing something different, the priesthood of Yahweh is holy, Leviticus 21:6; they shall be holy to their Mighty One, and not profane the name of their Mighty One: for the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, and the bread of their Mighty One: therefore they shall be holy. So the priesthood is holy, it's the earthly priesthood; the Levites were called to be earthly priests and called to be holy.
Luke 1:68; blessed is Yahweh Elohim of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people, he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began.
Prophets are holy, Revelation 18:20; rejoice over her, or heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets; for Elohim has avenged you on her. And so the apostles and prophets are holy. The New Jerusalem that will come down out of heaven will be holy. He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, showed me a great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from Elohim. Having the glory of Elohim: her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
Holy Jerusalem, glorious and Yahweh says; but there
shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes, an abomination, or a lie: but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life.
So do we want to be among those who enter this place, where nothing that defiles or enter? Nothing that causes an abomination will enter and nothing that causes a lie will enter. But we have to flee from lies, flee from things that cause defilement and flee from abominations and so we want to be holy don't we? I hope you realize scripture wants us to be holy, Yahweh says so in scripture. Leviticus 11:45; for I am Yahweh who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Mighty One: you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. And we were created in his image so we are all called to be holy, Leviticus 19:2 says; 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. Leviticus 20:26; you shall be holy to me: for I Yahweh am holy, have separated you from people. We have to be separated from the world because we are his, we are Yahweh's and we are called to be holy.
We belong to him we're not like the common people and there are so many people, they're so worried about being different, they are worried about looking different, acting different, doing things differently, they want to be normal and yet we're
supposed to be different. We're not supposed to be normal we're supposed to be separate from what the normal people do. We're supposed to be different, doing things differently than what the normal people do because we're called to holiness; we're called to be set apart. Set apart from what? Set apart from the things which are not right, we should look different, act differently be different and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact it's a manifestation saying that we are his, we're separated from among the peoples. And I don't mean to be prideful but we're not gonna be ashamed of it either.
We're not going to say by my own power; by my own righteousness I am holy. No I'm not talking about that, but don't be ashamed of it, don't be ashamed of being holy, don't be ashamed of being set apart. You know what the word saint means? Saint is just a translation of the Hebrew word Kadosh, holy. You are the holy one, I am a holy one, if you're a holy one if you're a saint that means you're a holy one, you're different than the rest of the people and you can rejoice in it because flesh and blood are not revealed this way to you, let your heavenly father reveal this to you. And since we are called to be holy people we should regard the difference between the holy and the unholy, we should be holy in our conduct, we should be doing things that are different than what most of the people do. And when people laugh at us and they mock at us and hate us whatever: they will have their day in court. And so we wait, even the command to keep tassels on your garments it's something that is directing us toward holiness, that's another thing that makes us different. Numbers 15:38 says; speak to the children of Israel, tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassels, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them; and that you may not follow the heart, to which your own heart and your own eyes, are inclined. That you may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy for your Mighty One. Who are we being holy for? When we put these tassels on we're seeking to be holy for Yahweh we're not trying to glorify ourselves and say O, as the Scribes and Pharisees were doing in the first century making your tassels long, no.
We're doing this because we're set apart, we're doing this because we're seeking to be holy for our Mighty One, for Yahweh, we want Yahweh to look upon us and say this is a set apart people that are doing things differently than the people of the nations and the people around them. And so I will wear these tzitzit, the tassels and not be ashamed.
In fact I'm glad to wear them, you will tie a string around your finger and say O I remember this. When we tie a tassel on the corner of your garment, the commitments.
We don't have a set I'll send you a set, let's look up the tassels for today's study on eliyah.com, if you don't know how to make them I got an instructional video on how to make them if you've never made them, if you've never worn them we are willing to help you. Since the transgression of the law if you don't wear tassels you are transgressing the law, simple as that. You are living in sin if you're not wearing them, scripture says; I would not have known sin except by the law. By the laws and knowledge of sin tassels are one the commandments. I don't care if you think it's silly Yahweh's commandments are not silly, Yahweh's commandments because he had good reasons for them, they are not multiple choice, they are not suggestions, not helpful hints from Helios, they are commandments, This is one of them and if you don't do it since the transgression of the law: 1 John 3:4 and you're disobeying Yahweh and you're lacking an element of holiness that he has called us to walk out. When Yahushua obeyed this command by the way if you read about the woman who had the issue of blood, she reached out and touched the hem of his garment that was actually a tassel.
Look up it your Greek lexicon craspidon actually is a tassel and as many as one place says a man has touched that craspidon and that tassel was healed. And some might say O I don't need those tassels to remind me of the commandments I have the Holy Spirit now. Well Yahushua didn't need any reminders and he wore them and to me that's an example of what a man ought to do who doesn't even need the reminder. What you ought to do with that tassel commitment, wear them anyway because Yahweh commanded it. And so it's kind of a, you know you wanna go in circles? Because the tassel commandment is a reminder to keep the commandments: you know, it isn't one of those commandments that you're supposed to be reminded to keep wearing the tassels. And my point is Yahweh is the same yesterday today and forever and if he is the same yesterday today and forever, if he kept the commandment of the tassels yesterday and he kept that commandment in you today and we will keep them forever there is no significance to that. And maybe there's something he will do with those tassels that like he did with Yahushua maybe
there's some kind of spiritual protection involved in wearing them, I mean I'm not trying to act like they're a talisman or anything like that. But it is an act of obedience and he may have reasons that he doesn't have to explain to you. He doesn't owe you an explanation he says it, we do it, we believe it that settles it right.
Because we are holy people to Yahweh, he has chosen us to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all the people who are on the face of the earth. Interesting he says you shall not eat any detestable thing.
Do you believe that you're a special treasure to him?
He says you are, if Yahweh is a special treasure to
you he will make you a special treasure to him. You treasure his words and he will treasure you. 1 Peter 2:9 says; you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people. Where is he getting this stuff from anyway? And he's getting it from Deuteronomy 14 right. And other scriptures; that you proclaim the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you're set apart, you're a holy nation today, you are a holy nation who once were not a people, but now are the people of Elohim: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
So we are a priesthood, Melchizedek priesthood,
we're a royal priesthood that's how I know it's Melchizedek because it's involving kingship. And Melchizedek order unites the royalty with the priesthood together as one priesthood and so the royal priesthood is Melchizedek. So we are the royal priesthood of Melchizedek, a holy nation. You know that you and I are part of a nation?
What is that nation by the way? We are the nation of Israel Galatians 3:29 says; we are Abraham's seed. Abraham's seed is Israel, I mean think of yourself that way but Yahweh does you are part of Israel. You are a holy nation, a royal priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. What does it mean to be holy? How do we define what holiness is?
We got to find out, it's important to find out what holiness truly is because Elohim did not call us to
uncleanness: but in holiness.
And we are called to be holy brothers and sisters in Messiah Yahushua. 1 Peter 1:13; therefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and hope to the end for 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 has called you is holy. Yahweh is holy, his name is holy, his habitation is holy, his priests and prophets are holy, he says you also be holy in all your conduct. Because it is written, be holy; for I am holy.
Is it boastful and arrogant for me to say I'm a holy brother? I didn't make myself holy, Yahweh made me holy. It's not boastful and arrogant for you to say you are a holy brother or holy sister because Yahushua is glorifying, you're glorifying Yahushua by saying that. Because he's the one that made you holy, it's not a bad thing. But please understand what holiness truly is, the Holy Spirit dwells in you and there's another spirit out there that we have not received. We have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from Elohim; that we might know the things that have been fully given to us by Elohim. So be aware of the spirit of the world and its ability to defile you. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And we have a Holy Spirit dwelling in us coming from Yahweh, be aware, be vigilant, pay attention to
the things that may defile your house, dwelling place he has given you the body that you have.
Here's an example of pure undefiled religion before Elohim the father is this to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted meaning unstained from the world. And I felt that stain before brothers, it's awful, most of the time all you gotta do is turn on the TV and it's a Hollywood filth.
Things are not pure, things are not lovely, things are not praised worthy, things are not a good report, they are disgusting, they are worldly, they are fleshly, they are carnal. We got to know the difference and reject the one and receive the other, there are traps and snares and thorn bushes and things that are carnal, worldly things that may not just come right out and try to oppose you but it's like a thorn growing
up and slowly took out the word.
Another act of defilement, Leviticus 11:43; you shall not make yourselves abominable, let's focus on those words right there, do not make yourselves abominable. Whoa, start right there. I don't want to make myself abominable, do you? No. Alright how would I make myself abominable? He says with any creeping thing that creeps, nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you will be defiled by them. He's talking about eating unclean things, for I am Yahweh your Mighty One: you shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy (didn't Peter quote that one?); neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. He's talking about eating unclean things, this is one creeping thing will be things that can defile you, rodents and things like that which are unclean. And you actually defile yourself and it says, make yourselves abominable by eating them. Isn't that significant? I hope that you see that as significant.
See the people don't understand holiness, there are unclean things, unclean beasts, unclean rodents, people go out and eat squirrels and rabbits and then claim to be holy. I believe that we're supposed to be clean, cleanest and holiness go hand in hand. We see that here in the scripture, did you see how they go hand in hand? He says don't defile yourselves by eating these things because you're called to be holy, right.
You make yourselves abomination by this,
Isaiah 52 says; Yahweh has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our Mighty One, we read this earlier right. And so he's talking about the nations here and he says: Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; be clean, you who bear the vessels of Yahweh.
This is quoted in Paul's letters, Paul says therefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the master, do not touch what is unclean; I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says Yahweh Almighty. Therefore having these promises beloved let's cleanse ourselves from all filthiness or defilements of the flesh and spirit, your defilements of the flesh touching what is unclean.
We are commanded in scriptures not to touch the carcasses of unclean animals. Not even touch the carcasses and would you believe that the bibles known as leather bibles, a lot of times, are actually made out of pig which is an unclean animal. And the word carcass in the Hebrew, the word family also describes wineskins, so don't just think of a carcass as being some dead thing on the side of the road. If you take that carcass, that dead body and you clean it all up and you make some leather bible out of it, that doesn't make it any less unclean. It's Yahweh who says their flesh you shall not eat and their carcass you shall not touch.
Therefore having these promises, what promises? He will be and we will be sons and daughters, cleanse yourself from the filthiness of the flesh and filthiness of the spirit and that's how you perfect holiness and the fear of Elohim. Both things can defile you, also cleaving to his
holy feast days, cleaving to his holy Sabbath day and not eating unclean things. Those are all signs of holiness, would you believe Antiochus Epiphanes went into the temple and defiled that he put pig fat on the walls of the temple of the temple of Yahweh and that's the day they celebrate this Christmas. While they coat the inside of their blood vessels of their body with abominable meats, eating unclean and thereby defiling the temple of Yahweh and observing December 25th holidays.
Now I'm not trying to condemn anybody please don't think I'm trying to condemn anybody I'm not. I'm saying let's wake up and pay attention to the word and many people don't realize it and that's why I'm sharing it with you.
Our bodies are the temple of the holy spirit, he doesn't want our bodies to be smeared with pig fat in the same way Antiochus Epiphanes smeared the temple walls with pig fat. We want to come out from among them and be separate and be Yahweh's sons and daughters and choose to be holy as he is holy. We want to perfect holiness and the fear of Elohim seeking to become his sons and daughters.
One day the entire world, every new moon, every Sabbath will come and worship before him Isaiah 66, and all the world will proclaim his holy name.
This is all part of the kingdom we're supposed to be preaching. If we start keeping the Sabbath and feast days and eating clean that's all part of holiness. Isaiah 65 tells us he will destroy all those who eat swine's flesh read Isaiah chapter 65; when Messiah returns he says he will destroy those eating swine's flesh.
It must matter to him, there should be no means enter the holy place anything that defiles, what causes an abomination or causes a lie.
I'm convinced brothers and sisters there will be things found my him where we are lacking in holiness
but I'm also convinced Yahweh is a merciful Elohim who's looking for a repentant heart, who will not just dismiss it all and say O I can't do that so I'm not going to. But looking for people who are willing to say I'm gonna do my very best to practice holiness, who will say Yahweh I really want to live the way you want me to live, I want to be your special treasure, I want to be a holy person that glorifies you in my conduct. I know that I failed you but I also know that Yahushua there's no mark he can't erase.
And when we humble ourselves before him he will dwell he says, he lives in a high and holy and lofty place where he will dwell with the humble and contrite person. His holy spirit will dwell in a holy and contrite person, and then you praise him and we will
dwell in that land that good land, that Promised Land. Let's pray, O, Father Yahweh in the name of Yahushua HaMashiach, Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh be your awesome name.
O, Father establish your kingdom and its principles and its laws and its statutes and its principles in our hearts.
Teach us; instruct us the difference between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and unclean. We know there are things that we do in this age,
even the act of bearing children and even in the active gist of a woman in her monthly cycle even makes us unclean and we know that Father.
But that's not a sin, what's a sin is to disregard it, pay no attention to it and do nothing about it. Father we want to do our very best to represent you, to walk in your image, to proclaim your holy name, to remember your holy feast days, to remember your holy Sabbath, to remember remember remember you and proclaim you and glorify you. Forgive us where we have failed to do that, let not the enemy prevail over us for we know and we are sure that yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and all praise, honor and worship belongs to you, Yahweh Eloheinu, Yahweh our Mighty One, forever and ever in Yahushua's great name we pray, Amein.
Sometimes when, I know for me growing up when I thought about someone being a holy person, you know this. I have this picture in my head of some guy wearing a robe and he's very solemn, only he's just kind of looking over the world and kinda thinking everyone else is just so unholy. I don't know that's how, it's not quite how Yahweh sees things but you know that was this picture image in my head when I first began to study the scriptures and, of course, I found out it was totally wrong. If you claim to be a holy person, a holy man or holy woman I mean people don't like to hear that, they don't want to hear you say I am holy it invokes certain negative connotations on our culture and you think you know the truth is we are holy. We're called to be holy as he is holy and you may not think of holiness being the practice of loving your neighbor or giving to the poor or things along those lines but those are acts of holiness and if
there was one word I would say that makes us in terms of those of us who come to understand the importance of the Torah and the Sabbath and the feast days and the name and so on that you could point to and say this is the difference that we need to, I would say it would make the difference between what I believe and what Christianity typically believes, it would be holiness.
And I'm gonna explain exactly why that is. So today's message is entitled understanding holiness, understanding holiness because I really believe a lot of people do not understand what it means. They might know the definitions but they don't really understand the teaching of scripture on holiness. So what does it mean?
The word holy means to be Kodesh or Kadosh meaning holy or holiness. But look here at Ezekiel 22 verse 26 it says; her
priests have violated my law, and profaned my holy things: they have not distinguished between the
holy and the unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Do you catch that? And Yahweh's eyes he became profaned when they did not make the difference between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and the unclean and when they hid their eyes from his Sabbaths. Now there's weekly Sabbath and there are a 7 annual Sabbaths, so we are saying Sabbaths here not just a Sabbath. It was very interesting because a lot of people do not make this connection between Sabbath keeping and clean and unclean separation and holiness, and yet it's something that's clearly taught in the word. And the word again Kodesh means apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness, places, things that are set apart, that are not common. And our English word if you'll look it up in an English dictionary it actually does talk about set-apartness, the word holy here set apart to the service or worship of Elohim, hallowed, sacred, reserve from profane or common use, holy vessels, a holy priesthood. Now some would say the word holy is not a very good translation of Kodesh but this is Webster's revised unabridged dictionary, seems to indicate a pretty close agreement with what we see in the Hebrew. So we're understanding the holiness means to be set apart, to be different, to be sanctified, to be separate from human infirmities, impurities, sins, common things. Maybe a good word could be dedicated, you know Yahweh is very concerned that we are able to know and understand the difference between the holy to separate the common. You have to focus on that or think about that, O this is holy, that's not holy, will that ever enter your mind? Today is a holy day, does that enter your mind? It doesn't necessarily enter Western Gentile minds very often but Yahweh seems to put a lot of emphasis on it and ancient Israel he was very displeased that the priest had done this.
He says, I am profaned, I am profaned among them,
because when people fail to put this difference between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and the unclean Yahweh is profaned and the reason why he is profaned is because we are representing him on the earth and he is not being represented as a holy Elohim when his people refuse to acknowledge holiness and what it really means.
Now one of the things you are going to notice as we go through scriptures is there is a direct connection between holiness and unholiness, between clean and unclean.
And they're both often side by side companion to one another in the scriptures. Now today is a holy day, this particular day we're in right now is considered to be a holy day. And it's a day Yahweh sanctified all creation Yahweh wants us to make a difference between the holy and the unholy. And when he says that he wants us to regard his Sabbaths as we see here, rather than hiding our eyes from them. He is calling us to holiness and we're talking
not just about the weekly Sabbath but the annual 7 holy days. Now when the Messiah returns according to the book of Ezekiel we have unfulfilled prophecies. According to the book of Ezekiel chapter 44 it says this; when they go out to the utter court, to the utter court to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, put on other garments; and their holy garments they shall not sanctify the people. They shall neither shave their heads, nor let their hair to grow long; but they should keep their hair well-trimmed. No priest shall drink wine, when he enters the inner court. They shall not take as a wife or widow, or a divorced woman: but take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or widows of priests. And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. So when the Messiah returns there will be a priesthood that will be operating.
It will be in Jerusalem and they will teach people the difference between the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean. So again we see a connection between unholy, unclean, clean is holy. In controversy they will stand as judges; and judge it according to my judgments: they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed meetings; and they shall hallow my Sabbaths. Hallow, make holy my Sabbaths catch that? So we see here when Yahweh's will is finally done on earth as it is in heaven there will be a people who will learn the difference between the clean the unclean, between the holy and the unholy and they go hand in hand. But we live in a generation, we live in a culture where there have been so many holy things that have been profaned, so many good things have been perverted, so many righteous things that have been corrupted, we have lost some ability to recognize the difference between holiness and unholiness. And even if we saw a difference we wouldn't know what to do with it. But understanding that difference was a problem even in the first century, even in matters of uncleanness for example in Matthew 15 verse 1; the scribes and Pharisees, who were from Jerusalem came to Yahushua, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. He answered and said to them, why do you also transgress the commandment of Elohim because of your tradition? For Elohim commanded, saying, Honor your father and your mother: and, He who curse his father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say whosoever says to his father or his mother, whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to Elohim. Then he need not honor his father or his mother. Thus you have made the commandment of Elohim of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy about you, saying, these men draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching his doctrines the commandments of men. When he called the multitude to himself, he said to them, Hear, and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. Then his disciples came to him, and said, you the
Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying? But he answered and said, every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, will be uprooted. Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a ditch. Then Peter answered and said to him, explain this parable to us. So Yahushua said, Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart; and they defile a man.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. Now much confusion over holiness today, the scribes and Pharisees went to the extreme and said well you eat with unwashed hands then the bread you eat is defiled, you will be defiled. That was not true, and then you have people today who are saying with these verses, well now we can eat all the pork we want and we will not be defiled because what goes in the mouth does not defile a man. And so we still at the other extreme have confusion over clean and unclean, holy and unholy. And what Yahushua was actually saying was that
little dirt on your hands isn't going to defile you. That's not what's going to defile you, and in the context of first century Judaism where nobody ate pork what he said was true.
He wasn't talking to a bunch of swine eaters here, okay. And so what he's telling them yeah what enters your mouth is not going to defile you that was true because they would never consider eating pork or shellfish or unclean things. In fact they were going to the extreme and they were saying well if you even fail to wash your hands first before you eat you will be defiled, he says no. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man, that's the context. But people have taken this and say well you know you can eat pork and you won't be defiled, that's not what Yahushua was teaching. So, what he was teaching was the truth, there are different kinds of defilements, there's different kinds or ways of defiling yourself. And one is, what comes out of your heart, what comes out of your mouth, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, theft, false witness, blasphemies. The things that proceed out of a man's heart defile a man also.
And what they were doing was these very things, they were dishonoring their parents and many other things that they were doing which were actually defiling them while going to an extreme over little dirt going in your stomach.
And with this the book at James also agrees; the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: the tongue is so set among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of Gehenna. For every kind of beasts, and birds, of reptile, and creature of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind: But no one can tame the tongue; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Elohim, and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of Elohim.
And so but this is not the only way in which holiness is misunderstood. Scriptures in the New Testament talk about a holiness in the physical flesh and a holiness in our spirit. Both can be representations of holiness and representations of defilement, both of the heart and in the flesh. And that's a New Testament teaching. 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 says this; therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of Elohim.
So we can be defiled there's a fleshly defilement which has to do with the things we eat, there are teachings about clean and unclean regarding our physical bodies and the flesh Yahweh has given us. And there are also ways of being defiled in our spirit and those are the things that Yahushua was speaking of and the book of James is speaking of.
And so I say let's pay attention to both. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of Elohim. Because the world wants to defile us in many ways, so
there is so much confusion today.
Scripture says in Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20 says; woe to those who call evil good and good evil who put darkness for light, light for darkness bitter for sweet, sweet for bitter, woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own site. Because our culture treats the holy things as just being common, I am afraid the church today has marginalized holy things also as being trivial, outdated and unimportant.
You know I have conversations sometimes with people who say they can hardly believe Yahweh would put to death a man for picking up fire, water, sticks or something whatever it was, logs, firewood on the Sabbath. And when they read that they just laugh, it's so silly in their mind that a man would be put to death for picking up wood on the Sabbath day to them it's so trite, so unimportant, they don't know the
difference between the holy and the unholy.
To Yahweh this was a holy day he set a part of creation and just because our culture has long profaned Yahweh's holy things and regarded it as not being important doesn't make it unimportant.
And for that reason we have the fruits of our culture today we see something in the scripture, we dismiss it as being something of a bygone era that's no longer relevant.
I'm not suggesting we stone people that break Shabbat doesn't worry about that. But the civil law that was in place when there was a nation of Israel was the Sabbath-breaking was just as significant as murder.
As far as a penalty people get they both get the death penalty, adultery death penalty, homosexuality death penalty, the Sabbath-breaking death penalty. Now I didn't say it, Yahweh said it. I'm just telling you what he said. I didn't create the death penalty for Sabbath breaking, Yahweh did. Now if our heavenly father gave a death penalty for breaking the Sabbath does that not show you a little bit that maybe it's kind of important to him? And do you really think that all of a sudden the hour, minute and second that Yahushua died and rose all of a sudden snap doesn't matter anymore? He goes from death penalty to, hey, no problem. Does that really make any sense? The 10 commandments as we've been talking about, and I plan to get back to that study, by the way. You've got the first 4 commandments in 10 commandments deal with how we love Yahweh our heavenly father. And the fifth commandment, maybe on, maybe 5th commandment also would be included but they're speaking about how we love our fellow men. But Yahweh does not want you mixing him up with some idol because he's holy. He's not to be syncretized with unholy religions, unholy practices, pagan rooted traditions because he is holy. That's why I don't observe Christmas, that's why don't observe Easter and all these other Catholic holidays that have been handed down to the Protestants, because we don't want Yahweh to be anything but represented as holy.
And therefore we don't try to honor him with traditions that come from the worship of demons.
And then the third thing is concerned about in the 10 commandments is the holiness of his name. That his name would not be profaned, that was important to him don't take his name in vain. If it's important to him why is it important to us in our culture today his name why is it? Because we live in a culture that has dethroned the most high and people want to create their own Elohim and we've handed down but handed down to our generation many things that are not biblical and a lot of us don't realize it and I understand because that's what we've been given. The fourth thing he is concerned about was the holiness of his day, again not important to our culture, but does that matter? Is Yahweh going to consult our culture when he judges us on our final day? I think he's going to say well, what does my word say, right? He is not going to say what was your culture like oh okay yeah you can profane a Sabbath day that's okay. This other culture of course they can do that, no he is going to consult we have the bible right here, all you got to do is read it, study it. It's there we just need to read it and study it and not let the opinions of men sway us.
He's going to want to know okay 10 commandments how to do 10 commandments?
Were you obedient to those even though nobody else thought it was important? Did you read my word to see how important it was to me? Do you catch that? See where I commanded men to even be put to death for violating the Sabbath day?
But we don't put emphasis today on the things that Yahweh puts emphasis on when he founded the very first things he wanted to say to the children of Israel. I'm holy first of all, I'm holly don't mix me with pagan stuff I'm not any part of that, don't make an idol out of me, don't make images of me, you can't make an image of me, don't worship me and mix me with other things or worship other gods. I don't want that stuff associated with me and don't profane my name. My name is holy and don't profane my day, my day is holy. These are the things that were on his mind when he gave the 10 commandments and so maybe we need to rethink a little bit here maybe we need to just start thinking and let our thinking be more like his thinking and I hope this makes sense to you.
Scripture says that Isaiah 65; I stretched out my
hands all day long to rebellious people who walking away is not good according to their own thoughts a people who provoked me to anger continually to my face, sacrificing gardens and burn incense of altars of brick who set among the graves and spend the night in the tombs who eat swine's flesh and the harbor abominable things in their vessels, who say keep to yourself do not come near me for I am holier than you these are a smoke in my nostrils a fire that burns all the day.
Now if you understand holiness, graves are
unclean places and eating swine's flesh defiles you.
And abominable things in your vessels, the unclean things is an act of defilement and yet these people are saying oh don't come near me I'm holier than you that just he says these are smoking my nostrils of fire that burns all the day. Now I don't know I mean I'm not trying to condemn anybody but why is it that graveyards are often right next to churches? This you know, and they'll even bring a dead body into a church which biblically speaking is you know a very unclean thing.
And yet these, you know he's talking about I don't think he's talking necessarily about the church but I often find that things he had trouble with amongst ancient Israel seem to be very similar to things I see, maybe not quite the exact thing but similar to things I see in modern day Christianity.
So anyway we need to understand this we got to understand that holiness matters according to his definitions we don't get to decide what holiness is, Yahweh does. So are we willing to allow what he says matters to be something that we also say it matters?
We don't want to be calling evil good and good evil bitter for sweet sweet for bitter and be wise in our own eyes.
Holier than thou is actually this, this is holier than thou. That's where you get the term holier than thou right here. You heard some all you just think you're holier than thou. This is the context, the unclean, graves, abominable of things in your pots and vessels and in this case idolatry was associated with these things, nothing wrong with me acknowledging that. But you know let's look at scripture and allow it to
teach us about holiness.
Isaiah 6 verse 1-3; in the year that king Uzziah died
I saw the Master sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of Israel filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Three times holy Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.
Revelation 4:8; the four creatures each of them having six wings; were full of eyes around and within: and yet they do not rest day or night, saying, Holy, Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Yahweh, Sivaot, asher, hayah, wa-u-wa, yahvot who was and is, and is to come. So his holiness is continually being declared in the heavenly places nonstop. Yahweh is holy; he is set apart, set apart from what? From anything that is wicked, anything that is evil, anything that is impure, anything that is not lovely, praiseworthy, of good reports, he is separate from the filth and scour of the world. Yahweh is holy and there is no comparison to his holiness. Exodus 15:11; who is like you, O YAHWEH, among the mighty ones? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 1 Samuel 2:2; no one is holy like Yahweh: there is none beside you: nor is there any rock like our Mighty One. Psalm 22:3; but you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. He is holy but is willing to dwell in our praises, if you want to be in the presence of Yahweh start praising him with sincerity and purity of heart.
Isaiah 63 verse 15 says; look down from heaven, and see from your habitation holy and glorious: where are your zeal and your strength, the yearning of your heart and mercies toward me? Are they restrained?
It's habitation where he dwells as holy and glorious. Deuteronomy 26:15; look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the land which you have given us, just as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. So Yahweh's dwelling place is holy, 2 Chronicles 30:27; the priests, Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, to heaven. Revelation 8:4; the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before Elohim from the angel's hand, to his holy dwelling place. Also his name is holy bless Yahweh on my soul all that is within me bless his holy name. The contemporary song of theirs saying worship his holy name, well what is his holy name? They don't say it, Isaiah 57:15; thus says the high
and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, (but also he's saying) with him who has a contrite and humble spirit. I love that he is in a high and holy place but he's also with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry: for the spirit which fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
Beautiful words there, Psalm 33:21, we have trusted in his holy name, so his name is holy why do
people think his name doesn't matter today because they don't recognize the holiness of the blessings of it, the separateness of it? We to be careful for ourselves brothers and sisters because people when they look at us sometimes they say there are a people of Yahweh something Yahweh something. And so what kind of impression are we leaving by our actions? Are people associating Yahweh's name with righteousness, with love, with goodness, with wisdom, with faithfulness, with humility? Is that what people are associating Yahweh's name with when they see us? Or are we profanity his name by our deeds? Because we have chosen to do what scripture says and call upon his name and praise his name and exalt his name and store his name. And when we do it we have to handle his name in such a way that it does not profane his name by the things that we do. And some people put Yahweh's name on a shirt or a bumper sticker of a car but if you're driving in a way that's you know not becoming of righteousness and you're violating the laws of the land, you're speeding by and you're misbehaving and not treating other people in traffic with respect. How are they going to view whatever this Yahweh name thing is? And you're outside and you got Yahweh's name on your T-shirt and you're smoking a cigarette. Or you're yelling and you're screaming at your children or you're doing other things that we all know is not right be careful about that Yahweh's name is holy. If you're not representing it correctly you're causing his name to be profaned among the people.
I think the fact that Yahweh wants his name to be maintained as holy and associated with holiness and righteousness, I think that is one of the reasons why whenever people start using his name they're also starting to learn about his laws, they start learning about commandments, the clean and the unclean the holiness of the Sabbath, the Torah and all these things because he wants his name to be associated with righteousness and holiness. And that's why Psalm 23 says; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Very few people do I ever see using Yahweh's name and yet are unaware of and disregard Torah or disregard the Sabbath, very rare it does happen but not very often. They often go quite handy and so Yahweh's dwelling place is holy, his name is holy and his spirit is holy. Psalm 51:11 do not cast me from your presence; and do not take your holy spirit from me, Isaiah 63:11;
then he remembered the days of old, Moshe, and his people, saying, where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him? See they had the Holy Spirit in those days, it wasn't missing, it wasn't missing in action, it wasn't MIA they had his holy spirit it's not quite the same manifestation we have today but the Holy Spirit was there. And the arm of Yahweh, Yahushua the Messiah is also holy. Matthew 25:31; when the Son of man comes in his glory, all the holy angels with him, he will sit on the throne of his glory. All nations will be gathered before him: and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.
So the angels of Yahweh are holy, right and Yahushua the Messiah is holy also. Who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed? The arm of Yahweh is our local representation of the Messiah. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form or comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him.
Has the arm of Yahweh been revealed to you, Yahushua HaMashiach?
He wouldn't have beautiful men necessarily in the eyes of many but he was a holy man. Not just like a regular person and maybe that's why they could only believe a man who wasn't all that great looking was the Messiah, you have to wonder about that. Isaiah 52:10; he has made bare his holy arm (that's Yahushua the Messiah) in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our Mighty One.
That means Jews and Gentiles alike will see salvation because Yahweh revealed his holy arm in the eyes of the Gentiles. See it's all predicted hallelujah, Acts 4:27; for
truly against your holy servant Yahushua, whom you anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. He is holy Yahushua is a holy servant of Yahweh, Romans chapter 1; Paul, a born servant of Yahushua Messiah, called to be an apostle, separated to the (good news) gospel of Elohim. Which he promised through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. So his word is holy right, we thought about this a
born servant really is a born servant, has to do what his master tells me the right? So Paul saw himself as one being a born servant of Yahushua, he's a slave of Yahushua and we are born servants also and so we have to do what our master tells us right.
2 Timothy 3:14; we must continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. And that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Messiah Yahushua. So the Torah is holy, Roman 7:12, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. You see even the commandments are holy commandments, now think about this if you want to be holy you see the is holy and just and good,
wouldn't that reason to say that if you keep the commandment you'll be holy just as good as well?
I would think so, so Yahweh's word, his Torah
which people say is abolished nowadays is holy just a holy word. And so when you are observing and keeping the holy word then you are walking in holiness.
Yahushua was the word that became flesh and dwelt among us, he kept every command it perfectly
without fail and that's why he was holy.
And when Timothy was a young child and he learned
the Holy Scriptures, what scriptures are we talking about? It will be the Torah and the prophets, the Old Testament they are still holy, not abolished, done away with, and nailed to a cross--none of that. They are still holding. And that's why Paul said the law is holy just and good. The problem is we haven't been holy just and good and that's why we need a Savior. Scripture speaks of the firstborn males coming from the herd and flock you shall sanctify to Yahweh your Mighty One: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. So the firstborn was supposed to be holy to Yahweh. The most we are reading today probably don't have herds and don't have flocks, but you don't till your land, maybe not: I don't know. But until maybe 100 years ago most people did have herds and flocks and land to till. And actually go further back our culture was dominated by an agrarian lifestyle; in fact most cultures were dominated by that kind of lifestyle. It was only cosmopolitan Romanesque type cities were you know people start to live their life a little differently. But when we look where did Yahweh put men? He put in a big city? He put a man in a garden that's where he created Adam he put in the garden to tender to keep it and that's where he placed man and really that's where he will be happiest I really believe that.
But we got the concrete jungle out there and I'm not saying it's a sin to live in a concrete jungle order working one. But you ever notice that the cities are just you know so far from our natural you know location where we were created to be and you know every election it seems like it's a country folks versus the city folks, this I have observed. Anyway we see that the first born of the flock is considered to be holy, first fruits of your harvest are considered to be holy so what do you do them? Well you can't bring the to a priest, you can't wave or put them in anything like that but you can regard as being holy and don't eat them, don't use them. We try to do that, actually you know, with the first fruits of our garden we don't eat the first fruits and I don't really know what to do with it but I want to honor Yahweh in some ways. And so I've actually lifted him up from the ground and lift them up and throw in the air, says Yahweh it's for you.
And some might suggest its okay to give those to the poor because those were taken into the tithes and in tithes we're giving to the poor--it's another possibility. Another thing that is holy is the year of jubilee, fiftieth year shall be a jubilee to you, Leviticus 25:11; you shall neither sow, nor reap what grows of its accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat its produce from the field. So it's a year that is considered to be holy, now when is the year of jubilee? We have so far removed from holiness that a lot of people don't know when the year jubilee is and it's kind of unclear. Some people believe it's this certain year and it behooves us to try to research and find out when it is. And then there's the land Sabbath. Every 7 years is a land Sabbath seventh year is when the land is supposed to rest and just let what grows of its own accord to grow there. But if farmers today would practice that they wouldn't have the problem with the soil just being overworked and depleted of nutrients.
And so we do and every seventh year on our property here, we don't grow a garden, we just let it go. So we're doing our best to practice holiness, to practice the things that Yahweh has taught us since the transgression of the law. And so we try to avoid sinning and so we seek to keep Yahweh's law otherwise we find ourselves walking in sin and that's something that's considered to be dealing with holiness as observing a land Sabbath as well as a regular day Sabbath during the week. But again our own culture we don't think we're being anything that important why? Because people believe the law has been abolished and allows no holy anymore and the commandment is not just anymore and holy and just and good. But we need to make a difference between the holy and the unholy, me and you, you got more to go. You got more to learn about the will of Yahweh. Yahweh's word is holy; his promise to Abraham actually was holy. Psalm 105 verse 42; for he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. He brought his people with joy, his chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands of the Gentiles: and they inherited the labor of the nations. That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise Yahweh. So his holy promise to Abraham, Psalm 89; once I
have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie to David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Amos chapter 4 verse 2; Master Yahweh has sworn by his holiness, behold, the days will come upon you, when he shall take you away with fish hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. You will go out through broken walls, each one straight ahead of her; and you will be cast into the palace.
Psalm 5:7; as for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy: in thy fear I will worship toward your holy temple. The holy temple, the temple is holy, the dwelling place is holy, his name is holy, he is holy, he can swarm no one cares so he swore by his own holiness.
As we spoke of earlier a Sabbath was and is holy, he said to them this is what Yahweh has said, tomorrow is a Sabbath rest a holy Sabbath to Yahweh: bake what you will bake today, boil what you will boil; lay up for yourselves all that remains be kept until morning. So that means on the Sabbath day we don't bake and we don't boil and we just keep whatever we do have a time before the next day.
It's a day of rest, remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. It's already holy, isn't it is ironic that the day that Yahweh says remember is a day that everyone forgets?
It's a day of O lets go shopping, let's have a barbecue pork roast on a Sabbath for the church to raise money for this or for that.
It's like a common day and Yahweh right there in scripture says it's holy, and some people think well I can do my own day I can say Sunday my day of rest or Tuesday or some other day. There is no point making a day holy if it's not holy to begin with. Yahweh decides what's holy, not you, not me not anybody; he decides what day is holy.
He decided the Sabbath was holy on the seventh day of creation and when he made that decision it says he blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it and yes
we can trace the seventh day of the week in our modern week all way back to Yahushua's day it's all far I need to go. And a 7-day cycle has never been broken, it can be demonstrated historically. So it's a holy day there's no point in keeping some other day as a holiday and yet the whole church world is going to church every Sunday treating Sunday like their holy day. Well, nice, but it's not a holy day okay, it's not;
you're not making the difference between the holy and the unholy between the common and the holy we have to make that difference because we're called to be holy people, holy people do not defile holy things.
And so Yahweh tells them do not forget it and yet it's the one everyone forgets, he says remember it. You know Yahushua will seem like he was always doing something to the multitudes, David the king always seen to be doing something a little different than what people expected, Abraham seemed to be doing something a little different than the multitudes you know, we're in pretty good company. Disciples always seen to be doing something different than the rest of the world were doing. So we're in good company for doing something different, the priesthood of Yahweh is holy, Leviticus 21:6; they shall be holy to their Mighty One, and not profane the name of their Mighty One: for the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, and the bread of their Mighty One: therefore they shall be holy. So the priesthood is holy, it's the earthly priesthood; the Levites were called to be earthly priests and called to be holy.
Luke 1:68; blessed is Yahweh Elohim of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people, he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began.
Prophets are holy, Revelation 18:20; rejoice over her, or heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets; for Elohim has avenged you on her. And so the apostles and prophets are holy. The New Jerusalem that will come down out of heaven will be holy. He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, showed me a great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from Elohim. Having the glory of Elohim: her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
Holy Jerusalem, glorious and Yahweh says; but there
shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes, an abomination, or a lie: but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life.
So do we want to be among those who enter this place, where nothing that defiles or enter? Nothing that causes an abomination will enter and nothing that causes a lie will enter. But we have to flee from lies, flee from things that cause defilement and flee from abominations and so we want to be holy don't we? I hope you realize scripture wants us to be holy, Yahweh says so in scripture. Leviticus 11:45; for I am Yahweh who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Mighty One: you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. And we were created in his image so we are all called to be holy, Leviticus 19:2 says; 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. Leviticus 20:26; you shall be holy to me: for I Yahweh am holy, have separated you from people. We have to be separated from the world because we are his, we are Yahweh's and we are called to be holy.
We belong to him we're not like the common people and there are so many people, they're so worried about being different, they are worried about looking different, acting different, doing things differently, they want to be normal and yet we're
supposed to be different. We're not supposed to be normal we're supposed to be separate from what the normal people do. We're supposed to be different, doing things differently than what the normal people do because we're called to holiness; we're called to be set apart. Set apart from what? Set apart from the things which are not right, we should look different, act differently be different and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact it's a manifestation saying that we are his, we're separated from among the peoples. And I don't mean to be prideful but we're not gonna be ashamed of it either.
We're not going to say by my own power; by my own righteousness I am holy. No I'm not talking about that, but don't be ashamed of it, don't be ashamed of being holy, don't be ashamed of being set apart. You know what the word saint means? Saint is just a translation of the Hebrew word Kadosh, holy. You are the holy one, I am a holy one, if you're a holy one if you're a saint that means you're a holy one, you're different than the rest of the people and you can rejoice in it because flesh and blood are not revealed this way to you, let your heavenly father reveal this to you. And since we are called to be holy people we should regard the difference between the holy and the unholy, we should be holy in our conduct, we should be doing things that are different than what most of the people do. And when people laugh at us and they mock at us and hate us whatever: they will have their day in court. And so we wait, even the command to keep tassels on your garments it's something that is directing us toward holiness, that's another thing that makes us different. Numbers 15:38 says; speak to the children of Israel, tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassels, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them; and that you may not follow the heart, to which your own heart and your own eyes, are inclined. That you may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy for your Mighty One. Who are we being holy for? When we put these tassels on we're seeking to be holy for Yahweh we're not trying to glorify ourselves and say O, as the Scribes and Pharisees were doing in the first century making your tassels long, no.
We're doing this because we're set apart, we're doing this because we're seeking to be holy for our Mighty One, for Yahweh, we want Yahweh to look upon us and say this is a set apart people that are doing things differently than the people of the nations and the people around them. And so I will wear these tzitzit, the tassels and not be ashamed.
In fact I'm glad to wear them, you will tie a string around your finger and say O I remember this. When we tie a tassel on the corner of your garment, the commitments.
We don't have a set I'll send you a set, let's look up the tassels for today's study on eliyah.com, if you don't know how to make them I got an instructional video on how to make them if you've never made them, if you've never worn them we are willing to help you. Since the transgression of the law if you don't wear tassels you are transgressing the law, simple as that. You are living in sin if you're not wearing them, scripture says; I would not have known sin except by the law. By the laws and knowledge of sin tassels are one the commandments. I don't care if you think it's silly Yahweh's commandments are not silly, Yahweh's commandments because he had good reasons for them, they are not multiple choice, they are not suggestions, not helpful hints from Helios, they are commandments, This is one of them and if you don't do it since the transgression of the law: 1 John 3:4 and you're disobeying Yahweh and you're lacking an element of holiness that he has called us to walk out. When Yahushua obeyed this command by the way if you read about the woman who had the issue of blood, she reached out and touched the hem of his garment that was actually a tassel.
Look up it your Greek lexicon craspidon actually is a tassel and as many as one place says a man has touched that craspidon and that tassel was healed. And some might say O I don't need those tassels to remind me of the commandments I have the Holy Spirit now. Well Yahushua didn't need any reminders and he wore them and to me that's an example of what a man ought to do who doesn't even need the reminder. What you ought to do with that tassel commitment, wear them anyway because Yahweh commanded it. And so it's kind of a, you know you wanna go in circles? Because the tassel commandment is a reminder to keep the commandments: you know, it isn't one of those commandments that you're supposed to be reminded to keep wearing the tassels. And my point is Yahweh is the same yesterday today and forever and if he is the same yesterday today and forever, if he kept the commandment of the tassels yesterday and he kept that commandment in you today and we will keep them forever there is no significance to that. And maybe there's something he will do with those tassels that like he did with Yahushua maybe
there's some kind of spiritual protection involved in wearing them, I mean I'm not trying to act like they're a talisman or anything like that. But it is an act of obedience and he may have reasons that he doesn't have to explain to you. He doesn't owe you an explanation he says it, we do it, we believe it that settles it right.
Because we are holy people to Yahweh, he has chosen us to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all the people who are on the face of the earth. Interesting he says you shall not eat any detestable thing.
Do you believe that you're a special treasure to him?
He says you are, if Yahweh is a special treasure to
you he will make you a special treasure to him. You treasure his words and he will treasure you. 1 Peter 2:9 says; you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people. Where is he getting this stuff from anyway? And he's getting it from Deuteronomy 14 right. And other scriptures; that you proclaim the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you're set apart, you're a holy nation today, you are a holy nation who once were not a people, but now are the people of Elohim: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
So we are a priesthood, Melchizedek priesthood,
we're a royal priesthood that's how I know it's Melchizedek because it's involving kingship. And Melchizedek order unites the royalty with the priesthood together as one priesthood and so the royal priesthood is Melchizedek. So we are the royal priesthood of Melchizedek, a holy nation. You know that you and I are part of a nation?
What is that nation by the way? We are the nation of Israel Galatians 3:29 says; we are Abraham's seed. Abraham's seed is Israel, I mean think of yourself that way but Yahweh does you are part of Israel. You are a holy nation, a royal priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. What does it mean to be holy? How do we define what holiness is?
We got to find out, it's important to find out what holiness truly is because Elohim did not call us to
uncleanness: but in holiness.
And we are called to be holy brothers and sisters in Messiah Yahushua. 1 Peter 1:13; therefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and hope to the end for 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 has called you is holy. Yahweh is holy, his name is holy, his habitation is holy, his priests and prophets are holy, he says you also be holy in all your conduct. Because it is written, be holy; for I am holy.
Is it boastful and arrogant for me to say I'm a holy brother? I didn't make myself holy, Yahweh made me holy. It's not boastful and arrogant for you to say you are a holy brother or holy sister because Yahushua is glorifying, you're glorifying Yahushua by saying that. Because he's the one that made you holy, it's not a bad thing. But please understand what holiness truly is, the Holy Spirit dwells in you and there's another spirit out there that we have not received. We have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from Elohim; that we might know the things that have been fully given to us by Elohim. So be aware of the spirit of the world and its ability to defile you. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And we have a Holy Spirit dwelling in us coming from Yahweh, be aware, be vigilant, pay attention to
the things that may defile your house, dwelling place he has given you the body that you have.
Here's an example of pure undefiled religion before Elohim the father is this to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted meaning unstained from the world. And I felt that stain before brothers, it's awful, most of the time all you gotta do is turn on the TV and it's a Hollywood filth.
Things are not pure, things are not lovely, things are not praised worthy, things are not a good report, they are disgusting, they are worldly, they are fleshly, they are carnal. We got to know the difference and reject the one and receive the other, there are traps and snares and thorn bushes and things that are carnal, worldly things that may not just come right out and try to oppose you but it's like a thorn growing
up and slowly took out the word.
Another act of defilement, Leviticus 11:43; you shall not make yourselves abominable, let's focus on those words right there, do not make yourselves abominable. Whoa, start right there. I don't want to make myself abominable, do you? No. Alright how would I make myself abominable? He says with any creeping thing that creeps, nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you will be defiled by them. He's talking about eating unclean things, for I am Yahweh your Mighty One: you shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy (didn't Peter quote that one?); neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. He's talking about eating unclean things, this is one creeping thing will be things that can defile you, rodents and things like that which are unclean. And you actually defile yourself and it says, make yourselves abominable by eating them. Isn't that significant? I hope that you see that as significant.
See the people don't understand holiness, there are unclean things, unclean beasts, unclean rodents, people go out and eat squirrels and rabbits and then claim to be holy. I believe that we're supposed to be clean, cleanest and holiness go hand in hand. We see that here in the scripture, did you see how they go hand in hand? He says don't defile yourselves by eating these things because you're called to be holy, right.
You make yourselves abomination by this,
Isaiah 52 says; Yahweh has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our Mighty One, we read this earlier right. And so he's talking about the nations here and he says: Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; be clean, you who bear the vessels of Yahweh.
This is quoted in Paul's letters, Paul says therefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the master, do not touch what is unclean; I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says Yahweh Almighty. Therefore having these promises beloved let's cleanse ourselves from all filthiness or defilements of the flesh and spirit, your defilements of the flesh touching what is unclean.
We are commanded in scriptures not to touch the carcasses of unclean animals. Not even touch the carcasses and would you believe that the bibles known as leather bibles, a lot of times, are actually made out of pig which is an unclean animal. And the word carcass in the Hebrew, the word family also describes wineskins, so don't just think of a carcass as being some dead thing on the side of the road. If you take that carcass, that dead body and you clean it all up and you make some leather bible out of it, that doesn't make it any less unclean. It's Yahweh who says their flesh you shall not eat and their carcass you shall not touch.
Therefore having these promises, what promises? He will be and we will be sons and daughters, cleanse yourself from the filthiness of the flesh and filthiness of the spirit and that's how you perfect holiness and the fear of Elohim. Both things can defile you, also cleaving to his
holy feast days, cleaving to his holy Sabbath day and not eating unclean things. Those are all signs of holiness, would you believe Antiochus Epiphanes went into the temple and defiled that he put pig fat on the walls of the temple of the temple of Yahweh and that's the day they celebrate this Christmas. While they coat the inside of their blood vessels of their body with abominable meats, eating unclean and thereby defiling the temple of Yahweh and observing December 25th holidays.
Now I'm not trying to condemn anybody please don't think I'm trying to condemn anybody I'm not. I'm saying let's wake up and pay attention to the word and many people don't realize it and that's why I'm sharing it with you.
Our bodies are the temple of the holy spirit, he doesn't want our bodies to be smeared with pig fat in the same way Antiochus Epiphanes smeared the temple walls with pig fat. We want to come out from among them and be separate and be Yahweh's sons and daughters and choose to be holy as he is holy. We want to perfect holiness and the fear of Elohim seeking to become his sons and daughters.
One day the entire world, every new moon, every Sabbath will come and worship before him Isaiah 66, and all the world will proclaim his holy name.
This is all part of the kingdom we're supposed to be preaching. If we start keeping the Sabbath and feast days and eating clean that's all part of holiness. Isaiah 65 tells us he will destroy all those who eat swine's flesh read Isaiah chapter 65; when Messiah returns he says he will destroy those eating swine's flesh.
It must matter to him, there should be no means enter the holy place anything that defiles, what causes an abomination or causes a lie.
I'm convinced brothers and sisters there will be things found my him where we are lacking in holiness
but I'm also convinced Yahweh is a merciful Elohim who's looking for a repentant heart, who will not just dismiss it all and say O I can't do that so I'm not going to. But looking for people who are willing to say I'm gonna do my very best to practice holiness, who will say Yahweh I really want to live the way you want me to live, I want to be your special treasure, I want to be a holy person that glorifies you in my conduct. I know that I failed you but I also know that Yahushua there's no mark he can't erase.
And when we humble ourselves before him he will dwell he says, he lives in a high and holy and lofty place where he will dwell with the humble and contrite person. His holy spirit will dwell in a holy and contrite person, and then you praise him and we will
dwell in that land that good land, that Promised Land. Let's pray, O, Father Yahweh in the name of Yahushua HaMashiach, Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh be your awesome name.
O, Father establish your kingdom and its principles and its laws and its statutes and its principles in our hearts.
Teach us; instruct us the difference between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and unclean. We know there are things that we do in this age,
even the act of bearing children and even in the active gist of a woman in her monthly cycle even makes us unclean and we know that Father.
But that's not a sin, what's a sin is to disregard it, pay no attention to it and do nothing about it. Father we want to do our very best to represent you, to walk in your image, to proclaim your holy name, to remember your holy feast days, to remember your holy Sabbath, to remember remember remember you and proclaim you and glorify you. Forgive us where we have failed to do that, let not the enemy prevail over us for we know and we are sure that yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and all praise, honor and worship belongs to you, Yahweh Eloheinu, Yahweh our Mighty One, forever and ever in Yahushua's great name we pray, Amein.