REVERENCE (DEUT 14-15)
TATTOOS/PIERCINGS
People of Yisharal, remember that you are Yahuah’s children, so when you’re saddened by the death of a loved one, don’t ever cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads like the nations do when they’re mourning. For out of all the nations on this earth, Yahuah your Alahim chose you to be His own set-apart people, a treasured possession. You belong to Him so don’t behave like those who worship other false deities.
RECALL THAT ANIMALS SACRIFICED TO YAHUSHA ON THE BRAZEN ALTAR WEREN’T ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY BLEMISHES, SCARS OR BE SICKLY OR WEAK IN ANY WAY. THEY HAD TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION WITH ZERO DEFECTS. THIS SAME PRINCIPLE ALSO CARRIED OVER TO THE PRIESTHOOD, FOR ANY PRIEST WHO HAD A PHYSICAL DEFORMITY SUCH AS A BURN MARK, A DEEP SCAR OR A MISSING LIMB FROM BIRTH COULD NOT SERVE AS A PRIEST. AND LIKEWISE THIS SAME PRINCIPLE ALSO CARRIED OVER TO THE COMMON POPULATION OF YISHARAL. WHILE A HEBREW WITH A BIRTH DEFECT WAS NOT NECESSARILY PENALISED BY YAHUSHA OR CONSIDERED `CURSED', ONE THING HE WAS NOT TO DO WAS `INTENTIONALLY CREATE A DEFECT’ BY SCARRING OR DISFIGURING HIMSELF IN ANY WAY (AS THE CANAANITES DID IN THEIR MOURNING PRACTICES).
THEY LOOK LIKE A HAPPY BUNCH DON'T THEY ?!?!?!
AS WE’VE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED IN LEVITICUS, IT’S NOT A HUGE MORTAL EVIL TO TATTOO AND PIERCE OURSELVES (UNLESS IT’S TO WORSHIP THE DEAD OR PRACTICE IDOLATRY) HOWEVER IT APPEARS HERE THAT YAHUSHA VIEWS THEM AS DEFORMITIES (TO A PERFECTLY DESIGNED VESSEL MADE IN HIS IMAGE). WE KNOW THAT THE DRAGON HATES ANYTHING THAT RESEMBLES YAHUSHA, SO IF HE CAN GET MANKIND TO DEFORM THEMSELVES IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE (GENETICALLY AND ALSO FASHIONABLY) WILL HE? IT’S LIKE VANDALISING WITH GRAFFITI YAHUSHA’S DIVINE REAL ESTATE THAT HOUSES THE ETERNAL PORTAL. YAHUSHA CERTAINLY DOESN'T JUDGE US ON OUTWARD APPEARANCES WHEN WE COME TO HIM, BUT ON THE CONDITION OF OUR HEARTS, SO DO YOU THINK HIS IMMERSED BRIDE SHOULD BEHAVE IN THIS WAY, DRAWING ATTENTION TO HERSELF BY DEFORMING HER BODY LIKE THIS?
CLEAN/UNCLEAN CREATURES
Don’t eat any disgusting abominable animals. You CAN EAT the meat of cattle, sheep, and goats, wild sheep and goats, gazelles, antelopes, and all kinds of deer. Remember if the animal has divided hoofs AND also chews the cud they’re fine to eat. But DON'T EAT camels, rabbits, and rock badgers. These animals chew the cud but do not have divided hoofs and you must treat them as unclean. And definitely don’t eat pork products, since pigs have divided hoofs, but they DO NOT chew their cud. Infact don’t even touch a dead pig! You can eat any fish that has fins AND scales too. But there are other creatures that live in the water that don’t have fins and scales, so you must not eat them but treat them as unclean. Likewise you can eat any clean bird. But DON'T EAT the meat of any of the following birds: eagles, vultures, falcons, kites, ravens, ostriches, owls, sea gulls, hawks, pelicans, all sort of owls, storks, herons, and hoopoes. Definitely don’t eat bats either. Swarming insects are unclean, so don’t eat them either. However there are certain kinds of winged insects that you may eat. Remember that you belong to Yahuah your Alahim, so if you happen to find a dead animal, don’t eat its meat. You may give it to foreigners who live in your town or sell it to foreigners who are visiting your town, but you are not to eat it, for you have been set-apart unto Me. Oh, and don’t boil a young goat in its mother’s milk either (like the nations do) because that’s just cruel.
JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING CAN TECHNICALLY BE EATEN AND DIGESTED BY A HUMAN BODY DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE IT LEGITIMATE FOOD ACCORDING TO YAHUSHA.
YAHUSHA’S INSTRUCTIONS TO NOT EAT CERTAIN FOODS DIDN'T ACTUALLY BEGIN AT MOUNT SINAI WITH MOSES BUT IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN WHEN YAHUSHA TOLD ADAM AND KUAH THAT THEY COULD EAT FROM ANY AND ALL OF THE TREES AND VEGETATION WITHOUT RESTRICTION EXCEPT THE FRUIT FROM THE TREE OF UNDERSTANDING GOOD AND EVIL. THIS INSTRUCTION WAS THE FIRST RULE HE EVER GAVE THEM AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT FOOD! BEFORE THAT, NO MORAL LAWS OR CIVIL RULES EXISTED FOR ADAM AND KUAH. IN OTHER WORDS, UNTIL THE VERY MOMENT WHEN YAHUSHA TOLD THEM NOT TO EAT FROM THAT TREE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ADAM AND KUAH TO DISOBEY HIM, BECAUSE THE TRUE DEFINITION OF EVIL/SIN IS TO BREAK A DIVINE LAW OF YAHUSHA. BEFORE THAT ONE LAW WAS ESTABLISHED, ADAM AND KUAH HAD ABSOLUTELY ZERO KNOWLEDGE OF RIGHT AND WRONG OR GOOD AND EVIL.
THE CONCEPT OF OBEDIENCE TO YAHUSHA AND LAWLESSNESS MEANT NOTHING TO THEM BECAUSE IT IS YAHUSHA’S DIVINE LAWS THAT GIVES US KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT EVIL BEHAVIOUR (SIN) REALLY IS. UNLESS LINES ARE DRAWN BETWEEN WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND NOT ACCEPTABLE TO YAHUSHA, THE CONCEPTS OF EVIL, WRONG AND DISOBEDIENCE CAN’T EVEN EXIST.
‘The only knowledge of good and evil comes from Yahusha’s Divine Laws” ROM 3 BRS
TITHING
Every year you must set aside ten percent of your grain harvest, your wine and olive oil, and the first-born of every cow, sheep, and goat. Take these to the place where Yahuah chooses to rest His Name, and eat them there. This will teach you to always fear and respect Yahuah in all reverence. NOTHING GETS OUR ATTENTION REGARDING SPIRITUAL MATTERS AND BEHAVIOUR MORE THAN HAVING TO PART WITH (AND CONTROL THE INSATIABLE SPENDING OF) THE MONEY IN OUR POCKET DOES IT!
But suppose you can’t carry your tithe (ten percent) to the Tabernacle. If you live too far away, or if Yahuah gives you a huge harvest that year, then sell your ten percent and take the money to the tabernacle instead. And when you and your family arrives, spend the money on food for a big celebration. Buy cattle, sheep, goats, beer, wine and spirits, anything your being desires, and if there are any other kinds of food that you want, buy those too. And since people of the Levi tribe won’t own any land for growing crops, remember to ask them to come celebrate with you.
Every third year, instead of using the ten percent of your harvest for a big celebration, bring it into town and put it in a community storehouse. The Levites have no land of their own, so you must give them food from the storehouse. You must also give food to the poor who live in your town, including orphans, widows, and foreigners. If they have enough to eat, then Yahuah your Alahim will be pleased and make you successful in everything you do.
WHAT IS THE 21st CENTURY CONTEXT OF ALL THIS TITHING TALK? CLEARLY GIVING MONEY, POSSESSIONS OR FOOD TO AN INSTITUTION OR BUILDING TODAY IS RIDICULOUS SINCE THE DIVINE REAL ESTATE (HOUSING THE PORTAL) WHERE YAHUSHA RESTS HIS NAME IS NOW HIS IMMERSED BRIDE. SO THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO SUMMARISE THESE INSTRUCTIONS INTO A MODERN BEHAVIOUR WOULD BE TO LOOK AT THE GENEROSITY YAHUSHA REQUIRES OF US. TO ASSIST AND HELP ANOTHER GENUINE BROTHER OR SISTER IN NEED (AND ORPHANS,WIDOWS ETC) NOT NECESSARILY FINANCIALLY BUT OUR WILLINGNESS TO SURRENDER OUR TIME AND ATTENTION OR MAYBE A HOT MEAL TO SOMEONE WHO JUST NEEDS LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING! TO SACRIFICE YOUR PLANS, AGENDAS AND SELF-LIFE FOR SOMEONE ELSE! THIS BEHAVIOUR IS ANOTHER PART OF THE TRANSFORMED `LIVING SACRIFICES' (NO LONGER ANIMALS & BLOOD) THAT WE ARE TO OFFER UP IN OUR DIVINE TEMPLES (BODIES) TO PLEASE YAHUSHA.
RELEASE OF DEBTS
Every seven years you must announce, “Yahuah says that loans don’t need to be paid back” (A RELEASE OF DEBTS). So if you’ve loaned money to another Yisharalite, you can no longer ask for any payment. This requirement applies only to loans you have made to other Yisharalites. Foreigners (OUTSIDE NATIONS) will still have to pay back what you have loaned them (THEY DON’T WANT THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP, SO THEY DON’T GET THE BENEFITS OR PROTECTION OF IT!)
NO ONE POOR IN YISHARAL
No one in Yisharal should ever be poor! Yahuah your Alahim is giving you this land, and He has promised to make you very successful if you obey His Divine Laws and Instructions that I’m giving you today. You will lend money to many nations, but you will never have to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will never rule you.
After Yahuah your Alahim gives land to each of you, there may be poor Yisharalites in the town where you live. So if there are, don’t be mean and selfish with your money. Instead, be kind and lend them what they need. But be careful! Don’t say to yourself, “Soon it will be the seventh year, and then I won’t be able to get my money back.” It would be horrible for you to think that way and to be so selfish that you refuse to help the poor. They are your relatives, and if you don’t help them, they may ask Yahuah to decide whether you have done wrong. And He may declare you guilty. You should be happy to give another poor Yisharalite what they need, because then Yahuah will make you successful in everything you do. There will always be some Yisharalites who are poor and needy through various circumstances and that’s why I’m instructing you to be generous with them.
TREATMENT OF SLAVES
If any of you buy Yisharalites as slaves, you must set them free after six years. And don’t just tell them they are free to leave, give them sheep and goats and a good supply of grain and wine. The more Yahuah has given you, the more you should give them. I‘m instructing you to obey Yahuah as a reminder that you were slaves in Egypt before He set you free.
But one of your slaves may say, “I love you and your family, and I would be better off staying with you, so please don’t make me leave.” Take the slave to the door of your house and push a sharp metal rod through one earlobe and into the door. Such love-slaves will belong to you for life, whether they are men or women. And don’t ever complain when you have to set a slave free. After all, you got six good years of service at half the price of hiring someone to do the work.
CAN YOU SEE THAT YAHUSHA'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORSHIP, REVERENCE AND SERVICE TO THE EARTHLY TABERNACLE ALL RELATED TO PRACTICAL EVERYDAY BEHAVIOURS WITHIN YISHARAL; HOW THEY TREATED EACH OTHER, LOOKED AFTER ONE ANOTHER, CARED FOR OTHERS, THE POOR, WIDOWS, SLAVES. AGAIN, TODAY OUR FEAR AND REVERENCE, PRAISE AND WORSHIP IS NOT DONE IN A BUILDING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN CERTAIN HOURS, IT'S HOW WE BEHAVE ALL DAY EVERYDAY, HOW WE TREAT OUR FAMILIES, OUR EMPLOYEES, THOSE WE'VE BORROWED FROM OR TOO. YAHUSHA IS IN EVERY FINITE DETAIL OF OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES AND IF WE DON'T REALISE THIS AND CHOOSE TO LIVE BY HIS DIVINE LAWS . . . WILL HE EVER KNOW US? WE DON'T HAVE TO FIND THE LOCATION FOR WORSHIP BECAUSE YAHUSHA ALREADY HAS (US). WE NEED TO OBEDIENTLY FOLLOW HIS DIVINE LAWS IN OUR BEHAVIOR (TRUE WORSHIP).
We must always keep in mind the context of Deueronomy, which is that Moses is making his final address to the people of Yisharal only days before he will die. As he stands before Yisharal in the mountains of Moab that overlook the Jordan Valley and the long hoped for permanent home of Yahusha’s people, if there is one underlying theme that he's attempting to project it's probably best summed up by the words of one of Yisharal’s most notable kings: Solomon (son of David). In the book of Ecclesiastes King Solomon reaches this conclusion after his explanation on the meaning of life:
"The whole meaning of life and the end of the matter is this: Fear Yahuah with all reverence and guard His instructions in your heart; for this is man's purpose for being alive on this planet". ECC 12 BRS
The word used for `man' in Hebrew is `adam' and it means man in general; so in the sense of this verse it means mankind as a whole. This verse in no way limits its audience to Hebrews only; it is referring to all mankind. Let us always remember that Yahusha’s written instructions are contained in His Divine Laws and that He says that the Divine Laws and instructions have never ceased and they never will until the whole universe ceases to exist.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ABOUT MAKING RELIGIOUS RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING EXTERNAL HABITS AND LIFESTYLES WITHIN THE BRIDE (TATTOOS, PIERCINGS, HAIRCUTS, CLOTHES, DRINKING, SMOKING ETC ETC) AND JUDGING EACH OTHER ACCORDINGLY. NO! THIS IS A PERSONAL JOURNEY WE MUST ALL TAKE WITH YAHUSHA, WHO IS LIVING AND WORKING IN HIS BRIDE AND IS BRINGING FORTH THE SET-APART BEHAVIOUR OF REVERENCE HE REQUIRES WITHIN EACH OF US.
THERE ARE DIVINE MORAL LAWS LAID OUT IN THE SCRIPTURE (BLACK & WHITE, RIGHT AND WRONG, GOOD AND EVIL) BUT THEN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF TINY DECISIONS WE MUST MAKE EVERYDAY (AND ALL THE THOUGHTS THAT GO ALONG WITH THEM) DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY DISCUSSED IN SCRIPTURE, LIKE WHAT COLOR TO WEAR, WHAT TO EAT FOR LUNCH, WHICH STREET TO TURN DOWN TODAY, WHAT TO WATCH ON TV.... DECISIONS THAT ARE NEITHER RIGHT OR WRONG NO MATTER WHAT WE CHOOSE.
YAHUSHA HAS GIVEN US FREE-WILL AND THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHOICES IN OUR LIVES, HOWEVER KNOWING HOW MUCH HE LOVES US AND SEEKS TO BE SO INTIMATELY CLOSE WITH US IN EVERY ONE OF THESE (EVEN TINY) DECISIONS, DO YOU THINK HE WANTS TO REIGN IN ALL THESE EXPERIENCES, WORDS AND THOUGHTS BEING MADE WITHIN HIS DIVINE SET-APART REAL ESTATE WHERE HE HAS CHOSEN TO REST THE POWER OF HIS NAME?
