05/23/2003 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

2 weeks from today we will begin what is often called a "double Sabbath". Many of us will be observing Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) on the first day of the week.

This means that because of a feast day that Yahweh has commanded, we will be observing 2 sabbaths in a row

It is also the time of year when the Ten Commandments were given. Today, we find that the Ten Commandments are being lifted up as the standard by many Christian organizations.

Periodically, we will come across a news item where the Ten Commandments were posted in a public place and the lawsuits that arise out of it. I've seen the Ten Commandments posted on the lawns and in the homes of people who profess to believe in them.

Indeed, there seems to be a great push in this country for the Ten Commandments. I think this is great. However, it would be much greater if only all would heed them.

For instance, how many in this country observe the Sabbath?

Many people even teach that the Sabbath is abolished

So the Ten Commandments that some hang in prominent places will stand there as a witness against them.

But tonight, I would like to ponder the question..

As important as the Ten Commandments are, are the keeping of the Ten Commandments all that Yahweh desires of His people?

Surely, He desires that we repent and come to Yahushua the Messiah, but are there more than Ten?

Surely, He desires that we repent and come to Yahushua the Messiah, but are there more than Ten?

Let's examine Yahushua's words in the following scripture..

Matthew 4:3 - And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of Elohim, command that these stones be made bread.

Matthew 4:4 - But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of YAHWEH.

Surely the word of Yahweh has more than just Ten commandments

Yahushua was actually quoting from the Law of Yahweh here..

Deuteronomy 8:3 - And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of YAHWEH doth man live.

Yahushua was quite familiar with the word. (In fact He IS the word)

Now, we see that the devil could quote scripture too.

Matthew 4:6 - And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of Elohim, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Matthew 4:7 - Yahushua said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt YAHWEH thy Elohim.

Deuteronomy 6:16 - Ye shall not tempt YAHWEH your Elohim, as ye tempted him in Massah.

Not the Ten Commandments..but others as well!

Paul also believed in obeying every word that proceeded out of the mouth of Yahweh, not just the Ten Commandments

Acts 23:4 - And they that stood by said, Revilest thou Elohim's high priest?

Acts 23:5 - Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

Where was he getting this commandment? It certainly wasn't one of the Ten

He was quoting the Torah/law:

Exodus 22:28 - Thou shalt not revile Elohim, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

It quotes from the Torah and other parts of the Old testament to back up what it says

For instance

Romans 9:14 - What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with YAHWEH? By no means.

Romans 9:15 - For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Exodus 33:19 - And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of YAHWEH before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

Isn't it interesting that all of these are from the law? (ie the first five books of the "bible"..the Torah)

Here is a great example...

1Corinthians 5:11 - But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

But what defines what is considered to be sexually immoral?

From where does Paul get the information on what is moral and what is immoral?

Is incest, bestiality or homosexuality sexually immoral? Of course, but we surely would have to look further than the Ten Commandments to find this!

Leviticus 18:22 - Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 18:23 - Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

Leviticus 18:24 - Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

Leviticus 18:6 - None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am YAHWEH.

And the homosexuals say just that when defending their actions

Now let's look at the verse in Corinthians again..

1Corinthians 5:11 - But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

Is this a new commandment that Paul dreamed up?

Revile means to regard as vile, to speak evil of or defame another.

David knew this was evil:

Psalms 101:5 - Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

Leviticus 19:16 - Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am YAHWEH.

1Corinthians 5:11 - But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

1Corinthians 5:12 - For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

1Corinthians 5:13 - But them that are without YAHWEH judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

But where in the Ten Commandments does it say to "put away from yourselves the evil person"?

Nowhere...

But there are many instances in the law of Yahweh

Deuteronomy 24:7 - If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.

Romans 10:6 - But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring the Messiah down from above:)

Romans 10:7 - Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up the Messiah again from the dead.)

Romans 10:8 - But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

The word that Paul preaches?

What is the "word" that is spoken of in this scripture?

Let's look at what is being quoted from..

Deuteronomy 30:11 - For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

Deuteronomy 30:12 - It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

Deuteronomy 30:13 - Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

Deuteronomy 30:14 - But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Some today like to say that it used to be the 'old letter' that was followed, etc

And that today..His law is in our heart

But the same held true in those days also! They needed only to receive it

Yahushua, the Word is in our heart. He is the whole word.. not just Ten Commandments, not just His words in the "new testament" but the Whole Word of Yahweh !

continuing..

Deuteronomy 30:15 - See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

Deuteronomy 30:16 - In that I command thee this day to love YAHWEH thy Elohim, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and YAHWEH thy Elohim shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

Clearly it is all of Yahweh's commandments, His statutes, and His judgments.

Yahushua, the Word.. obeyed all of the commandments.. not just Ten

Yahushua kept it perfectly and showed us what righteousness really is.

He is near us..even in our hearts

Thus ALL of the commandments should be also .. not just 10

If one says they have the word in their hearts, then surely it would reflect on the outer layer by obedience to His word

Let's examine another scripture..

1Corinthians 9:10 - Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

1Corinthians 9:11 - If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

1Corinthians 9:12 - If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the glad tidings of the Messiah.

1Corinthians 9:9 - For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth YAHWEH take care for oxen?

This is one of many commandments that Yahweh gave for our sakes

Deuteronomy 4:6 - Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

2Corinthians 6:14 - Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

2Corinthians 6:15 - Or what harmony has the Messiah with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

2Corinthians 6:16 - Or what agreement has the temple of YAHWEH with idols? For we are the temple of the living Elohim; just as YAHWEH said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

2Corinthians 6:17 - "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says YAHWEH. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.

2Corinthians 6:18 - "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me," says YAHWEH Almighty.

continuing..

2Corinthians 7:1 - Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of YAHWEH.

Paul obviously assumes that the readers of this letter would know.

We need only look in Leviticus chapters 11 thru 15 to find out what is clean and what is unclean according to Yahweh.

What is of significant importance is what unclean things we decide to put in our bodies that Yahweh has given us.

In fact, there are certain unclean things that Yahweh would not want us to touch..let alone eat.

Now some would say that this verse only refers to things that are "Spiritually" unclean and not things that are unclean according to the flesh.

But one need only read the verse in context to see that this scripture speaks of what is unclean in spirit AND flesh.

2Corinthians 7:1 - Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of YAHWEH.

Originally, Paul's letter had no chapters

"Therefore" literally means.."Because of this" in the Greek (e.g. Because of what I just said....)

So we should cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the FLESH AND SPIRIT. Clearly this is speaking of both.

Now some would like to accuse those who believe in keeping these commandments in Yahweh's law of "Walking in the oldness of the letter".

But what does this really mean?

Is obeying the law of Yahweh something that is opposed to walking in the Spirit?

Some would have you believe so

vBut Yahweh doesn't say so

In fact, He says just the opposite would happen to a Spirit filled person:

Ezekiel 36:27 - And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

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But walking in the Spirit and having the Spirit living in us is to be living in obedience to the law of Yahweh.

If we are walking in the Spirit then we will not obey the lusts of the flesh.

The Spirit of Yahweh is what helps us and guides us to keep His law.

When we are tempted to sin, we can call on Yahweh to help us to overcome by His Spirit.

Romans 7:1 - Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

Romans 7:2 - For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

Romans 7:3 - So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

Romans 7:4 - Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of the Messiah; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto YAHWEH.

Indeed, the law does condemn us because we have failed to keep it in our lives. We must die

We are dead to the law because the eternal death penalty imposed on us for breaking that law has already been paid by Yahushua the Messiah .. it is His death that we participate in

When we repent and are baptized in Yahushua, we have freedom from the death penalty and condemnation that the law would bring.. for we reckon ourselves dead, and alive in Messiah

We already died to the old man that was bound to keeping that law "PERFECTLY" and are raised up as a new man and walking a new life!

Those who aren't in Yahushua (or are expecting their law-keeping to save them rather than Messiah) are still "under the law" of Yahweh. Therefore, they will be held by its penalty for not observing it

This penalty is eternal death, for the wages of sin is death.

These things I speak because it is what scripture has declared:

Romans 7:5 - For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

BEFORE we knew Yahushua, we were in the flesh

The law revealed our sin

Therefore our fruit was unto death

Romans 7:6 - But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Is it referring to those who have accepted the Messiah and are trying to keep the law of Yahweh?

According to the scriptures here the 'oldness of the letter' is referring to the time BEFORE we accepted the Messiah and we were in the flesh...in our sins.

Indeed...what is sin?

1John 3:4 - Whoever commits sin trangresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.

Walking in the oldness of the letter entails an expectation that somehow that law is going to save us, rather than the righteousness of Yahweh through His Messiah

Walking in the oldness of the letter does not refer to Law-Keeping or being obedient to the commandments that Yahweh gave.

If it did, then we would be "walking in the oldness of the letter" every time we honored our parents

For the law says to "Honor your Father and Mother"

Surely, all those times Paul quoted the Torah to support his statements he was not doing it to make us walk in the oldness of the letter

Romans 7:14 - For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

The problem is...'we' are carnal

Again, the wages of sin (breaking the law of Yahweh/transgression of the law) is death

But now, in Yahushua we are freed from the penalty of death that he paid for us

Indeed, this is why the letter kills but the Spirit gives life

The letter kills us because of our deeds. But the law itself is innocent..the law itself is not sin. WE were the guilty party here.

Let's continue in Romans 7:

Romans 7:6 - But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 7:7 - What shall we say then? Is the law sin? By no means. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Romans 7:8 - But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

And as we have seen..there is more in His law than just the Ten Commandments

And so now I ask, "will those who willfully and defiantly continue to transgress Yahweh's law after accepting and believing in Yahushua be walking according to the Spirit?"

How can they be?

They are not walking in the Spirit, but are walking in the oldness of the letter by walking in the flesh....breaking His commandments

For the works of the flesh ARE breaking the commandments/sin:

Romans 8:5 - For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

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What does Scripture say?

Are we after the flesh or after the Spirit when we subject ourselves to Yahweh's law?

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Let's read on

Romans 8:6 - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:7 - Because the carnal mind is enmity against YAHWEH: for it is not subject to the law of YAHWEH, neither indeed can be.

For in the above scriptures, walking according to the flesh is the same as being carnally minded

And being carnally minded is the same as not being subject to the law of Yahweh

Brethren, sisters, friends... guess what?

If we refuse to subject ourselves to Yahweh's law... Romans 8:7 says that our mind is enmity against Yahweh

No way around it

Those who are in Yahushua and are walking in the Spirit are those who subject themselves to the law of Yahweh

Only those who are carnally minded will refuse to

For His word IS Spirit...and is life

If Yahushua is the word and has been the word..then in Him the law of Yahweh speaks

and He said:

John 6:63 - It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Romans 6:1 - What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that favor may abound?

Romans 6:2 - By no means. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Yet, if we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father if we are humble and confess our sins to Him.

1John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahushua the Messiah the righteous.

1John 2:2 - And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

1John 2:3 - Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

1John 2:4 - He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1John 2:5 - But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of YAHWEH is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

1John 2:6 - He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Now some say... "well, that's referring only to the Two commandments Yahushua gave.. love Yahweh and love your neighbor

What else did He say about those two commandments?

First of all, they were from the Torah/law1

Deuteronomy 6:5 - And thou shalt love YAHWEH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Leviticus 19:18 - Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am YAHWEH.

Matthew 22:40 - On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

So many think those two commandments replace the law, but rather.. the Torah and prophets hang on them.. for there is not a commandment written that doesn't have love for Yahweh and/or our neighbor in mind

1John 2:6 - He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

If He is in us, He will keep those commandments in us..

Thus, the Spirit of Yahweh leads us to keep Torah

Ezekiel 36:27 - And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

1John 4:13 - By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

How did Yahushua walk??!?!??!?!?! This should settle everything!

We need to walk as He walked..

Walk as Yahushua walked!!

He's the word, He's the answer here!!

You see, Yahushua fulfilled or "obeyed" the scripture that was speaking of Him.

He obeyed Yahweh's law....PERFECTLY <----- !!!

EVERY WORD

Matthew 4:4 - But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of YAHWEH.

And certainly loved us so

And if He kept the Sabbath, if He kept the feastdays, if He wore tassels, if He ate only clean foods, if He proclaimed the name of Yahweh, if He loved the brethren enough to give His life for them, if He obeyed the Torah/Law ofYahweh...which I KNOW HE DID

Then may Yahweh bless those who "walked as He walked" for it is certain that He did these things

So contrary to popular Christian doctrine, those who do not wish to do these things are not walking as He walked and are not walking according to the newness of Spirit, but perhaps ignorantly are carnally minded and wish to live in the oldness of letter

The word of Yahweh is death to those who fail to keep it, but is life to those who trust in Yahushua and walk in it

May we all be among those who live according to the Spirit.... and walk in the Spirit, being spiritually minded...

May be be among those ... one of those who live just as Yahushua did by living according to every single word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh..

...not just the Ten Commandments.

May Yahweh bless you and may He have mercy on us all!