The Sabbath: God’s Wedding Ring For Israel

As a born again believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who we call Jesus Christ today and the Jews call YHWH, we are responsible for obedience to the Bible; we are not allowed to pick and choose our obedience, we are to obey all of the Bible from the very fist word in the book of Genesis to the last book in the Priesthood writings called “The Revelation.”  The Bible is your source of life—it is God’s personal love letter to you.  Every time you have heard the good news, or read the Torah: God’s teaching and instructions—the God of Israel has been proposing to you—asking you to become His Bride.  In 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, the Apostle Paul is writing to the new believers at Corinth—who had formerly been of Gentile birth—stated that the things that happened to the Israelites in the desert were done as ‘examples for us’ to follow.  This means that everything that happened there has a lesson for a contemporary follower of Jesus Christ in the year 2008.

When God called the Children of Israel out of bondage, he first took them through the water—which is a type of Mikvah, or baptism, and then He led them to Mount Sinai where He spoke His Holy Commands to the people and Moses went up for 40 days and 40 nights to receive the instructions for the Malki-Tzedekian Priesthood.  Well as you know, when Moses came down and saw the 3000 who had formed the Golden Calf, He through the first tablets down to the ground.  This resulted in Moses going back up the mountain to receive a second set of tablets that contained the instructions for the proper operation of the Levitical System of Sacrifice and Offering which was to act as a Tutor until the appearance of Yeshua ben Yosef—when the Priesthood of Malki-Tzadek was restored and the Levitical System faded into the annals of History.

At Mount Sinai, the document that Moses was given is referred to in Hebrew as the “Kettubah” or “Official Marriage Document” between God and the Israelite people.  This wedding certificate lays out all the rights and responsibilities of the Bride called Israel, and the Husbandman who is God.  This marriage covenant created the Bride of Christ—which is the people of Israel.  The thought that the Church is the Bride is incorrect and a product of something called “Replacement Theology” that was introduced by Catholicism thousands of years ago.  Then man developed an update called “Evangelical Dispensational Theology:” which in a nutshell argues that God dealt with Israel one way and at a new time—He dealt with the Church in a different way.  This lie was devised by a Catholic Priest in South America a little over 200 years ago—and it is a lie from the pit of Hell.  God has ONE CHOSEN PEOPLE—called ISRAEL.  Romans 11 states that your faith in Jesus Christ has resulted in your being grafted into the natural olive tree called “Israel.”  You have not replaced natural Israel, but you have been grafted in along side the Jewish people as co-equal heirs and receivers of the abundant grace of the One living and true God: YHWH who we call “Jesus Christ!”  It is this unified Oneness—between Jews and Christians that allows you to call on the same covenants for forgiveness and blessing—the same covenants that the Jews call upon.  AS with all covenants of grace, it is not without both right and responsibility.  You were chosen to be the light of God to the entire world around you and this is where the issue about the Sabbath comes in.

BACKGROUND

In Genesis 2 God is creating the Heavens and the Earth, Man and all the rest; in fact it says that God created for 6 days and on the seventh day that He rested from all His creative work which He had been doing.  The people of Israel were chosen to keep the Sabbath of the Lord as a witness to the fact that God exists and not only that He exists, but that those who worship Him will do the things that He does; my Sons do things at times that make my wife giggle—because she can see in them—a picture of me—and the same thing works in reverse with our daughters and my precious Wife.  Our kids look like us, they talk like us, and they behave –well most of the time—just like us.  This is how Israel is to be with their God; and this is how you are to be now that you have accepted Jesus Christ’s gift of deliverance.  People should not be able to tell the difference between a Christian and a Jew—because you are brothers with the same Father.  It is the Enemy of God that lies to Christians about keeping the Sabbath to keep you broke, busted and disgusted most of the time.  The Sabbath is the key to financial prosperity—even more than Tithing!  If you do not keep the Sabbath—then you are tithing in vain—as it applies to abundant increase.  Face it, many of you have tithed for years and have you ever once seen abundant abundance overflow for anyone besides the Minister teaching you about the tithe?  Point made.  You see, until you come into the covenant with God—you were free to live by instinct—like a wild animal—we all did it.  But now, we are to take on the attributes of our Husband—and the Husband of Israel is the God of Israel.  Jesus kept the Sabbath and the Apostles never stopped keeping it all the days of their life.  All those people who say things like “Jesus is LORD of the Sabbath” are just speaking their own condemnation; if you KNOW JESUS IS LORD—KING—of the SABBATH—yet you fail to keep it—ask yourself who the devil is fooling: You or The King of the Sabbath??

Look at the following verses:

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

 Exd 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

 Exd 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

 Exd 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

 Exd 20:10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: on it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Exd 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

 Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

 Deu 5:12 Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

 Deu 5:13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

 Deu 5:14 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. Deu 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.

 Neh 9:14 And madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

Eze 20:20 And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

 Exd 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

 Exd 31:14 Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

 Exd 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

 Exd 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

 Exd 31:17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

I mean really—words like FOREVER, PERPETUAL COVENANT, FOR ALL GENERATIONS TO COME—should be a clue that this is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.  I do not care what day you go to services—but the SABBATH and its observance is a Command for ALL people who are a part of ISRAEL; whether Jew or Christian—it matters little—the Sabbath is commanded of us all.  Commands are nothing more than Habits—and habits that lead to success, healing, peace and joy.

Undoubtedly someone is going to say to me, Oh—but what about the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:16 where Paul says “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days;”  To which I simply ask you –What did Paul do each and every Sabbath of his life according to Acts 28:17   “Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.”  If Paul did not keep the Sabbath—then He could not say that—because all Israel kept the Sabbath, and to teach against keeping it is a crime in Israel—and always has been.  Paul was talking about the “Rabbinical Picket Fences”—which we man made legislation which the Rabbinical Court ruled would act as “picket fences” around God’s commands to prevent one from breaking the Commands of God.  Besides—how in the world could you—me—or anyone else ever think that the Apostle Paul has more validity that the God of Israel??  God said KEEP THE SABBATH—as a wedding ring—a sign that you were married to the God of Israel—and this goes for everyone who calls upon the name of Jesus—who IS the God of Israel.

But alas someone will hit me up with this:

Mark 2:23 “And it came to pass, that He went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.  Mar 2:24  And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?  Mar 2:25  And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?  Mar 2:26  How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

 Mar 2:27  And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:  Mar 2:28  Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”  To which I will reply that according to Deuteronomy it is not unlawful to pick a handful of grain on the Sabbath; Jesus is teaching the Pharisee’s who SHOULD know the Torah’s commands about the Sabbath—and they were falsely accusing the Disciples. 

Jesus, James, Peter, John, Paul, Andrew, Phillip, Judah, ALL the Apostles and the Lord Himself kept the Sabbath and everyone in the New Testament kept the Sabbath from Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown—and as the Master says himself—the Sabbath IS MADE FOR MAN—not man for the Sabbath.  The Sabbath is a gift from God to man—as a wedding ring is a gift between a Husband and a Wife; and it is the sign of the Bride of Christ.  Sunday is not the Sabbath, it was made this by the early pagan church followers but the Scripture says to beware anyone who changes the appointed days and times of the Lord. 

PAUL

Inevitably, the standard believer whenever anything like the Sabbath becomes part of the discourse will refer to snippets of information that they have gleaned from the Apostle Paul’s life and letters that has disseminated across the pulpits for centuries.  With that in mind—let’s take a quick look at the Apostle Paul’s life and see if we can identify what He actually thought and practiced in reference to the Shabbat:

A careful examination of the book of Acts seems to indicate Shaul’s pattern: 

1. He would enter the town and set up his daily business activities, which was making Tallit's and hand tying Tzitzit for sale to the general believing community that would be in transit among the many systems of the Roman highways. 

2. Then Sha'ul would enter into worship on the Shabbat [the 6th day of the week at sundown, and maintain its rest until the seventh day at sundown.  In Philippi, he also entered into a mikvah on the Shabbat, near the time of the watch--prayer (at either 12-or 3pm.....this is where Paul met Lydia....and if I were to guess, it was closer to the 3 o'clock watch time prayer, as immediately following this interaction Lydia invites him over to become a guest in her house.  To me, this would seem to indicate that it was close to the dinner hour--or the 3 o’clock watch that this interaction took place.)

3.  Sha'ul would speak boldly about Messiah Yeshua and called what he shared with the Jews and former Gentile converts to the faith of Abraham, "The Good News" which is defined biblically in Acts 13:32 when it says "We tell you the Good News:  What YHWH promised our Forefathers [[Abraham, Isaac and Jacob....1.the Land of Israel....2. Be a Great Nation called Israel...3. Make your NAME Great....4. Receipt of the Name YHWH--just like Abram became Abraham after YHWH gave him the "H" from His very own name....5. That we would be a "Blessing" to others--meaning we would forgive them the same way we have been forgiven Ps.1:1-3.Ps 32:1....6. YHWH "blesses" those who "bless" us--He "forgives" those who "forgive" us.....7. YHWH "curses" those who "CURSE US".....YHWH allows the realm of death to come on those who will NOT forgive us....8. In US all families on earth --meaning the Nations or gentiles...will be forgiven by Yeshua......9. YHWH will make his covenant..the Torah and the Testimony of Yeshua...with MANY NATIONS.....gathering the House of Israel from among the gentile nations into a unified commonwealth of Israel....10. We will be exceedingly fruitful and multiply exceedingly....meaning we will produce many Torah observant offspring.....]]He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Yeshua [from the dead]

4.  Following the Shabbat Service in the Jewish Synagogue, Sha'ul and Barnabas/Silas/John Mark would meet in local homes of converted former Gentiles, which were called "proselytes" by the Jews of the day-and “Christians” first in Antioch--who had ALREADY been converted to the "Faith of Abraham"--that we call ‘Judaism’ today.  This would be for the purposes of Oneg (a celebration meal enjoyed on the Sabbath) and Havdallah (the service saying goodbye to the Sabbath with praying and teaching the Torah portion at the sundown of the 7th day); and telling people about the “testimony” of Yeshua and His works.

5.  The Disciples (Talmidim) that Sha’ul met and instructed about the teachings of Torah and the testimony of Yeshua, would invite Sha’ul to stay and teach in the homes of various people throughout the community.  In most contemporary bibles today this is referring to the "Church" that would meet “in their homes.”  This is historically incorrect and is an anti-Semitic interpretation attempting to convey a social meaning of “separation from the Synagogue”--which was NOT Shaul’s plan nor was it what He EVER taught.  Further, this interpretation “smacks” of replacement theology in that it appears to convey that the “Jews and Yah fearing Greeks” in the “Synagogue” were somehow “flawed.”  The fact that Sha’ul (Paul) continued to attend them throughout his life and adult ministry would indicate that He found them to be proper places for worship.  The "Home Groups" that met throughout the Roman provinces that were started by the Apostle Sha'ul and his Talmidim (Disciples), were called "Kahal" in Hebrew, or "a called out assembly."  Contrary to popular belief however, they did not STOP worshipping in the local synagogues, nor was this supported by the Apostles--least of all Sha'ul!  The Scripture says that Sha’ul (Paul) entered the Synagogue on the Sabbath—as was His custom.”  In fact, if you really want to know how important this was to Sha’ul and the early Disciples, all one has to do is circle the word “Sabbath” and Synagogue and just see how many times the book of Acts contains those two words.

6.  They would stay in a location until the persecution became to great and then would travel to the next place they could find that had a Synagogue; this is clearly depicted in Actions 17:1-2 where it says "....Thessalonica where there was a Jewish Synagogue...as was His custom Sha'ul went into the Synagogue..."  Sha'ul would prove that the Moshiach had to suffer and rise from the dead.  Verse 4 of Acts 17 indicates to us that that there were several Jews and many "God Fearing Greeks" who followed the teachings of Sha’ul.  These “Greeks” mentioned in this passage and most of the others in the Book of Acts--were Greeks who had previously converted to the faith of Abraham, and had been circumcised in the flesh in obedience to the Torah of Moses, and were in attendance in the Synagogues worshipping during the Sabbath Services......and after services were ended, they were gathering in the home of a man named "Jason," where Sha’ul had been teaching those who had assembled for “more teaching.”  This appears to be something that resulted in a jealous response by the local “synagogue” leaders. 

7.  Acts 17 makes the clearest point however, in its statement in the beginning of verse 5, where it says "But the JEWS WERE JEALOUS!"  It is critical that we in the Hebrew Roots Movement understand what went into "making the Jews jealous!"  Sha'ul writes to us in Romans 11:13-15 of his desire to make his fellow countrymen "jealous"--so that He may win some when He states "13I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy [JEALOUSY] and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

For years, I have heard people pontificate on what will make the Jewish people "Jealous."  Most of the time, I have heard Christians--who have fallen for the pagan idolatrous worship of the Universal or “Catholic” system say things like "one day the Jews will see that WE have their Messiah!" Another favorite is “when we (the Roman Church) are raptured--the Jews will realize that they missed their Messiah, but for most--it will be too late; only 144,000 Jews will be saved during the ‘great tribulation!’  This too is utter poppycock and displays a silly spiritual immaturity.  Jews today look at the lack of Torah: YHWH's teaching and instruction in most Churches, and they apply Moshe's words to ALL Israel in Deuteronomy 13 to what they see, and they realize that they are "being tested," to see if they LOVE YHWH their Elohim with all their heart and all their strength.  Why?  Why do they do this?

They do this because ‘Catholic Christianity’ as a system, is a Godless system of pagan idolatrous worship--as Jeremiah 16:19 says that we would discover, and most people today have been practicing nothing more than a complete and utter “pagan” rehashing of man made religions that were practiced by their gentile forefathers.  NOW LET ME BE CLEAR WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ROMAN SYSTEM AND NOT THE PEOPLE—THE PEOPLE ARE INNOCENT.  They create "houses of worship" that the early Romans called "Churches" which by its very nature is a word of Pagan origin, which comes from Egyptian Sun god disc worship!  They have adopted a mainstay of theology that indicates that YHWH is actually 3 distinct beings--which they refer to as “The Trinity”--which is nothing more that pantheonistic theology.  Deuteronomy 6:4 clear states that YHWH is ONE!  Yeshua is not the ‘weaker’ version of YHWH--but in fact YHWH Himself--manifest in the “the flesh” and guided by the Spirit of Holiness--which is YHWH. Contemporary Roman Christianity is selling a false doctrine that was foreign to Sha’ul and the apostles.  They did not believe in--nor did they teach or advocate a division from the worship of Israel.  Actually, Shaul’s teachings in both Galatians and Ephesians support the unity of worship, now be available to all men through the sacrifice of Yeshua; rather than the Roman System of Holidays and a Sunday Sabbath—but they all adhered to the Sabbath, festivals and feast days of the God of Israel.

In Romans 14 and 15 Sha’ul in his letter of instruction to this congregation, speaks of a “weaker brother;”  have you ever asked yourself who that ‘weaker brother’ was??  Sha’ul is referring to the Jews--who have not yet had YHWH open their eyes to the fact the Yeshua IS Yahweh!  Sha’ul goes on to caution us to not condemn our “brother”--which is NOT--and I repeat NOT one who is keeping alive the practices of pagan idolatry worship.  Yahweh calls this Roman Catholic worship “Babylon” in the scriptures.  You cannot partner with “Babylon”--but you can only come out of her and be separate.  Not many reading this will say “how can you call the Roman Church--Babylon?” 

The answer to this question is a simple matter of deductive reasoning; the Roman Church and all of it’s offshoots are a dissemination from the State Church founded by Constantine IN DIRECT OPPOSITION of Yahweh and HIS PEOPLE and WAYS called ISRAEL.  Everything that Rome does is opposed to Israel--everything.  They have changed everything--down to the name of our blessed savior--may His Name ever be blessed--and made people run around crying out to pagan deities and not to the elohim of Israel--Yahweh!  THE Messiah kept the Torah and said whoever loved HIM would obey it’s commandments.  THE ANTI-MESSIAH--or the message of Roman Christianity--which had been disseminated from Rome who has adopted nothing but pagan worship--combining it with the ways and teachings of our Rabbeinu Yeshua-has taken one third of the worlds entire population.  Yeshua did not come so that he could further fragment Israel…nor did He come to fragment the faith of the Patriarchs!  Yeshua came SO THAT ALL PEOPLE could live this wondrous life that He shared with Abraham--and like Abraham we would “obey His commands, precepts, laws and instructions” Genesis 25:6.

Sha’ul knew this as well, and He knew that it was IN MESSIAH that the promises the Yahweh made to Abraham would be fulfilled in OUR LIVES.  Those promises belong to you and your children as a testimony that you are in covenant with the God of Israel!  There is NO PLACE in the ENTIRE SCRIPTURE where Yahweh made a covenant of blood with “the Roman Church!”  His covenant has been and remains with the ones HE CHOSE to be His Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation, the House of Israel and the House of Judah which He calls…”Israel!”  Through your grafting into Israel you have become like the “Converts” of old, except you are no longer required to have the circumcision in your flesh--but your circumcision is in your heart as Moses called for in Deuteronomy 10:16.

Worship, however, needs to be done in the ways that Sha’ul--as the Apostle to the Nations laid out for us to do.  We are to find people who will love and obey the Torah by the Spirit of Yahweh, and train them to teach the God of Israel’s ways to the Churches of the World today.  The opportunity to speak as to why you are keeping the Torah and following the lifestyle of YHWH will come for certain.  We need to let our Torah based lifestyle shine before our BROTHERS--which are the House of Judah--or the Jewish people of today.  Roman Christianity is NOT our brethren--but Judah; just because people talk of Yeshua--does not make them your Brother--only grafting makes one a member of your family.  A simple examination of Shaul’s lifestyle indicates to us the fact that he kept all the customs--commands--laws and instructions of the Torah and the testimony of Yeshua Messiah--and that it was Yeshua Messiah who led Sha’ul  to follow this course of action.

PROOF of your repentance is witnessed by your belief in One Elohim, your keeping the Shabbat, Festivals and Feast Days, and remaining clean and staying away from what is toxic.  Yeshua called us to be light….meaning TO SHARE WITH THE JEWS THEIR COVENENTAL BLESSINGS: the greatest of which is the Sabbath.

Yahweh did not come to us as Yeshua for us to create a new religion, or to even act in support of it.  Yahweh grafted us INTO ISRAEL--both Jew and Non-Jew alike… to be SALT and LIGHT…..but if the SALT has lost its saltiness--meaning its ability TO PRESERVE--then what good is it.  We are brothers—the two Sons of Joseph—Manasseh the older, and Ephraim the younger—not replacing the natural Jews and Israelites—but being grafted in beside them in faith in the ONE TRUE and LIVING GOD—who we know as YESHUA (Jesus).   The Sabbath is the wedding ring of the new covenant and as those who have been grafted into the natural Olive Tree which is ISRAEL—then we need to be living like ISRAEL and NOT LIKE ROME.

Scriptural References:

Acts 13:4-5; 32-33; 42-52; 14:1; 15:35; 16:1-5; 16:13-15; 17:1-15; 18:4; 18:19-28; 19:8-10; 20:7; 21:20-24; 24:13-21; 26:4-8; 26:19-23; 28:17-20; Romans 11-all; 14--all; 15: 1-9; 15:27; 16:17-20; 16:25-27; Zechariah 2:7 et al.

REST

The Sabbath is a day of rest—a time to kick back with your family and rest in the perfection of the Lord God of Israel Jesus Christ.  We are commanded to not “Buy and Sell” on the Sabbath—as a sign to the world of what family you belong to.  Rest means rest; and as much as it pains me to say as a former Messianic Rabbi and Messianic Congregational Leader—IT DOES NOT MEAN GOING TO A MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE/CHURCH ON THE SABBATH EITHER.  Now undoubtedly some of my more Scholarly brothers are going to challenge me on this point and will bring up the COMMANDED MIQRA (pronounced meek-ra—which is exactly what I used to do too) which is a “commanded gathering” that Messianic’s will say is to be done at a Messianic Congregation--on the Sabbath–but hear me well when I warn all of you that a MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE—IS THE ULTIMATE FORM OR REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY or DISPENSATIONAL THEOLOGY!  Further---you will be paying your tithes and offerings on the Sabbath—which is BUYING AND SELLING—in violation of the Sabbath.  And I repent to the Jewish people and all others worldwide for my participating in this system in Yeshua’s Name. 

Jewish Synagogues are Synagogues—and Messianic Synagogues are “Gatherings” that are nothing more than Churches with Jewish “clothes on”—most masking their ultimate desire to convert Jews to Christianity and not wanting to deepen adherence to Judaism as was practiced by Paul and the other Apostles.  In reality—the Apostle Paul argued that Yeshua was the Messiah of Israel from the inside of the Jewish Synagogues attempting to convince them that the Davidic Kingdom had been reunited through Yeshua the Messiah and it was in these Synagogues that Paul attended until He died.  The Scholarship of most Messianic Rabbi’s is so weak, and their true Jewish cultural knowledge is so poor that most could not even speak the language enough to make Paul’s kind of argument from the inside of a Reform Synagogue let alone a Conservative or Orthodox One!  And I speak from great experience—having been called to lead in a Traditional Conservative Synagogue by traditional Jewish Eldership; I have seen the difference.

The “Kahal” or the “called out assembly” is called: “ISRAEL” and is represented by the Christian Church believers in the Lord Yeshua YHWH—AND-- the Jews in the Synagogues: the House of Israel and the House of Judah—the Priesthood and Holy Nation to the World.  We are meant to be one nation of people; but most Christians have not yet been exposed to this exodus from bondage.  Most Christians do not know how much the Jews would love to teach us—to love us—to welcome us—but our prayer is that we will learn—and soon. 

The Lords own command to His Disciples and to ALL OF US in Matthew 28 known as the “Great Commission” --was to take this message of the reunification of the lost House of Israel—scattered among the nations—and the House of Judah—the Jewish remnant of the tribes of Judah—Benjamin and half of the Tribe of Levi—and Make Disciples of ALL NATIONS.    The word “Nations,” is a Biblical Code word for the “Gentiles” which means “confused, pagan, unbelievers” who are spread out all over the planet; HE NEVER ONCE SAID “take it to your brothers the practicing JEWS” and shame on us for disobeying YHWH!  The “Prodigal Son” which is a picture of the biblical House of Israel—did not go TOWARDS his Fathers House—stopped along the road within site of His Father and Brother and then work hard to convert them to a foreign way of worship for them; God forbid!  No, the Prodigal Son repented and made his way home TO HIS FATHERS HOUSE—not a bad imitation of His Fathers Home.  The early Apostles lead many converts to the teachings of the Jewish Messiah—BUT—they never once introduced them to FOREIGN or PAGAN WAYS; they taught them only greater adherence to the Torah as Ya’akov—James the Lord’s own brother says in a conversation with the apostle Paul in Acts 21:

20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.

Paul clearly did not take on a Roman lifestyle, with its pagan holidays and feasts—but clearly lived a completely Jewish life—which was exactly what the Apostle James wanted to prove.  Today’s Messianic’s live in between two worlds; outside the Church norm, and outside the Synagogue norm; like a sliver in the hand of Israel that does not need to be there.  If you believe in Yeshua and you believe you are Jewish—become A GOOD CITIZEN in the JEWISH COMMUNITY for Yeshua.  If you love the Torah and the Jewishness of Yeshua and the word-pictures of teaching stories of Israel—then join the HEBREW ROOTS CHURCH and be A GOOD CITIZEN in the CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY for Yeshua.  DO NOT create a hyphenated version of both—like a mutant spiritual baby—that does nothing but violate this command of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:10 “10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, ESPECIALLY to those who belong to the family of believers.” It is not good to destroy Jewish families by teaching them to be Christians—this is changing the natural order which God has for them as the biblical “House of Judah” and conversion further violates Jeremiah 23, 33 and Zechariah 3—which says that YHWH—God--dealt with the sins of Judah “In the Days of the RIGHTEOUS BRANCH.”  When Acts 21 talks about all the Jews who believed—they were not talking about becoming Christians—they were talking about non-practicing—non-faithful Jews who after hearing that Yeshua was YHWH in the flesh—who came down to dwell with their people—and that they could now receive forgiveness for their lack of “Faith” and adherence to the Torah through trusting in Yeshua’s sacrifice—they became PRACTICING JEWS who adhered to their faith.  They did not abandon it—but became ZEALOUS and FERVENT FOR IT.  They did not practice paganism, or stop worshipping on Shabbat; they did not take on the ways of the Nations—but the ways they were ignoring in Israel and the Greco-Roman thought that was so prevalent in the time of Yeshua.

 Missionary activities in the Jewish community have resulted in hard feelings that will be hard to mend.  So you can see that the Messianic Movement as it is practiced today is a complete and utter MESS.  The Believers in the Lord Yeshua Moschiach (Messiah) were to be the ones who were to keep the Sabbath, the Festivals, and the Feast Days of Israel—keeping Clean from Unclean—Holy from Unholy; it is the sign of the legitimacy of the Messiahship of Yeshua!  It is the sign that you are in the wedding covenant that started at Mount Sinai and was refreshed on Shavuot—the day of Pentecost—which resulted with a change of Priesthood from Levi to Malki-Tzadek.

Everyone today is scurrying around in anticipation of soon having to accept the “Mark of the Beast” –and they do not even know that they ALREADY HAVE.  The “Mark of the Beast” in the Hebrew mind is ANYONE who will buy and sell on the Sabbath.  Remember what it says in the Bible—that “ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE MARK MAY BUY AND SELL”—and ask yourself—who is buying and selling on the Day of the Lord God of Israel??  It is those who have the Mark of the Antichrist.  We have been fooled—completely fooled as we go throughout our lives.  The mark will be in the forehand or the forehead of those in the last days—the exact spot where Jews and Faithful Christians put on the Tefillin at least once per day—so the mark is someone ignoring that command of God. 

These things are not bondage—they are deadly serious—you are not saved by them—you are only saved by grace through faith in Yeshua the Messiah—but these things keep the realm of death from dominating your life and they supply the missing peace that your hectic schedules are looking for.

Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ—Yeshua Moschiach—has personally grafted you into the Natural Olive Tree that is called “Israel.”  “The Roman Church” and all her ways are a system of hand-me-down Roman constructs.  The Sabbath belongs to Israel and her people; Paul gives us these commands and instructions in Ephesians 2:

            “12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.  14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.  19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you two are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

The Apostle Paul knew and understood that we were One—united people.  He lays it out for us to see in no uncertain terms—that ONCE you were excluded from Israel—but now—through the BODY OF MESSIAH—you are NOW FELLOW CITIZENS with Gods people—and MEMBERS of GODS HOUSEHOLD—which is –was and forever will be called “ISRAEL.”  Being an ISRAELITE is not necessarily a JEWISH THING.  You have not replaced the naturally born Jews and Israelites—but you have been grafted into the family as equal co-heirs with the Jewish people and a fellow Priesthood to the world that does not know the God of Israel.  The Christian Church is the gateway for the Nations—by offering Jesus Christ—Yeshua the Messiah—to any and all who come—so we are clearly not presenting this as an issue of whether or not you are born again.  The adherence to God’s appointed times and seasons which are referred to as the “Moedim,” and the three mandatory services which ALL MEN who serve to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are required to appear before the Lord and not to do so without an offering—are the keys to success in your life.  Tithing will not work alone—as it is meant to be coupled with the Sabbath; healthy eating and exercise will not keep you well alone—as they are meant to be coupled with the Sabbath rest.  Hebrews 4 states clearly that “there is a Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God.”  People will say “Jesus is my Sabbath:” and they would be correct; however, just because He did keep the Sabbath is not an excuse for you to not keep it—for by the same logic it is like saying --Jesus loved people, now we don’t have to—and Jesus died so now we don’t have to—and Jesus wept and so now we don’t have to [you can see that I am talking crazy to make a point.]

The Gift of God is eternal life through Yeshua our Lord; and THE SIGN that you have accepted this gift is you’re doing what God said.  Face it; keeping the Sabbath is nothing more than telling you to “Obey every word in the Bible.”  We must stop picking and choosing what Scripture that we “choose” to apply to our lives and start applying it all; because when we pick and choose what we really do is create a “FRANKENJESUS” for the world to see—a Jesus made on many parts of something but not the whole.   Remember what they called Frankenstein the famous Shelley novel: A MONSTER!   Many Churches and Believers say that they need to obey every word of the Bible—but they do not follow this practice—by sitting in judgement on the Word itself—saying well, this doesn’t apply to us today; IT ALL APPLIES—you just do not understand what it is saying and how to apply it.  For example, when you read the Book of Leviticus, you say “that was the Law which is now done away with in Christ;” and you would be partially correct—but just think how hurt you would be with your children if they said to you “not everyone who has sex gets pregnant” and then they made a decision to have sex behind your back—thinking with this partially correct assertion--that they would not be the ones to get pregnant if they only had sex one time.  You see how this “miscalculation;” this being “partially right” could result in a pregnant teenager and all the life consequences that follow that “partially correct assertion.” It is the same way in this case, and we cannot afford to be ‘partially right’ about obedience to God. 

The Apostle Paul wrote ¾’s of what is called the “New Testament.”  Did you ever stop to ask yourself why?  Why was He explaining things like “Things happen FIRST in the NATURAL and THEN in THE SPIRITUAL;” Paul was writing down the instructions for the Malki-Tzadekkian Priestly Order.  He was taking the Torah’s commands from the book of Leviticus—and drawing for you their application which is to be used as YOU minister in the Holy Temple—one made not with Human Hands—which was a copy of that which was to come—but the Heavenly Temple itself.  When he says things like “You are saved by Grace through Faith it is not of works so nobody can boast;” he is laying forth the principle that ONLY the PRIEST could pronounce you “CLEAN FROM DISEASE”—the “dis—ease” which flows from being out of covenant with the Lord God is Israel—and this act had NOTHING to do with your actions.  A careful rendering of Leviticus 14 gives us the method for how the Priesthood would make atonement for the people after the Priest—had gone outside of the Camp—and pronounced the person who was “outside the Camp” in a status of “impurity” and disease—as being healed by the Lord.  This healing was done solely by the Lord and was “Deliverance” and “Salvation” for the person with the disease that had been put outside the Camp; this healing was GRACE and would be accomplished following repentance which came only THROUGH FAITH—and this healing was not based on the offering that the unclean on made which is clearly NOT OF WORKS so that the one who was made whole would boast only in the Lord who had healed them SO NO MAN COULD BOAST.  You see, Paul was writing the instructions for how this same process which was laid out in Leviticus 14 would now be A TUTORIAL for how to act SPIRITUALLY as a Priest in the Kingdom of God; this is the exchange of the Levitical Priesthood for the Priesthood of Malki-Tzadek through Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ).  The first was not thrown away and ignored—but it was a TUTORIAL of how things would be done under the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, and not an excuse for not following them at all.

God is not mocked, and He does not turn a blind eye to those who openly disobey His teachings and instructions.  The Sabbath is the wedding ring of the Bride of Messiah and the actions of making disciples are the fruits of that marriage; or the Children born of it.  As a Church—we need to put our wedding ring back on in these last days even as Noah built the arc in front of those who would later drown in the flood; as a testimony for several years before the end finally came about for those who refused to repent and enter the arc.  As a Christian, you are not a second fiddle to the Jewish people in calling or choosing—and you are no better either; but you have been called to demonstrate the lifestyle of God for the world as a sign and a wonder for ALL GENERATIONS TO COME.

The Sabbath rest is your marital covenant blessing from Yeshua; your faith has brought about the birthright—your right to be in the family of the House of Israel.  However, only obedience brings the blessing as it says in the Scriptures “you are saved UNTO GOOD WORKS” meaning you are delivered from the realm of darkness and death into the realm of life in Messiah Yeshua.  Don’t allow the devil—the enemy of God--steal the most precious of all signs of your covenantal relationship with God; besides, ask yourself this:  How hard is it really to put your feet up, eat three good meals, and sleep in between studying Gods Word for one full day each week that you spend with your children?  How you answer this will determine whether you are called least or greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Exd 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.