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The Resurrection- From Disappointment to Faith
Introduction: Since we are on this powerful journey towards Shavuot (Pentecost) it is vital that we reflect how we came here and how the death & resurrection of Yahshua changed everything. In the beginning when we read the first book of the Scriptures we see that Yahweh the Elohim of all Creation made Adam & Chavah (Eve) in his image to have fellowship with him and to have dominion over the Eretz (the Earth). When Man sinned that fellowship was broken, man was sent from YHWH’s presence and the World came under the power of Ha Satan & sin. The purpose of the coming of Yahshua ha Machiach (The Messiah) therefore was to restore this broken relationship. We will endeavour today to see how he aids Mankind in that journey to Shavuot or Sinai the place where the Torah his divine instructions on righteous living is given to each of us.
The Foreknowledge of YHWH:
The story of the defeat of Ha Satan is a Glorious story hatched in eternity past even before the Heavens & Earth existed! After the fall of Man, Ha Satan had dominion over the Earth afflicting man with every vile curse that his evil mind could conceive. His true desire was to transform man into his offspring which we saw through the rise of the Nephilim which he used to defeat the plan of Elohim from ever taking shape. We see his plan almost succeeding in the days of Noach (Noah) when the world was so full of violence that Elohim destroyed all but Noach (Noah), his family & the animals in the Ark but finally the Son of Elohim was manifested upon the Earth. He came in the form of the pre-fallen Adam and scripture calls him the second Adam. We must understand that he was born in the form of the first Adam without sin but with the same potential as Adam otherwise Ha Satan could never temp him. The good News is that Yahshua unlike Adam learned obedience to his Father according to:
Ibrim (Hebrews) 5:7-9who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His reverent fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
Because of his Obedience all mankind has the hope of redemption through faith in his name.
From Failure to Strength:
When we read about the Talmidim (the Disciples) we discover that though their intentions were good since they did believe in Yahshua that he was the Promised one & though they saw all his miracles they could not walk in that level of faith that would see them advance to fulfil their true calling. We read some great words again from Kepha (Peter) who was a standout Disciple the one that showed at times great faith and at the time that Yahshua was about to face his greatest test he says this:
MatithYahu (Matthew) 26:33-35 Kepha (Peter) answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34 Yahshua said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the Watcher blows the Shofar (the Rooster crows), you will deny Me three times.”
Note: There was a watcher who would blow the Shofar from the Beyth Ha Mikdash (the Temple) during the Feasts. (Yechezqel-Ezekiel 33:6, Matt 27:65) Hidden Truths Hebraic Scrolls NT.
35 Kepha (Peter) said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
Kepha (Peter) was responding to the words of Yahshua who understood the weakness of man when he said to all his chosen ones:
MattithYahu (Matthew) 26:31 Then Yahshua said to them, “all of you shall stumble in me this night for it has been written, I shall strike the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.” (Quote from Zecharyah (Zechariah) 13:7)
We see that Yisrael too often failed in being true to the Covenant just like when they had declared in:
Shemoth (Exodus) 24:7 All that Yahweh has said we will do & hear.
The story that follows these words sees the Seventy Elders of Yisrael, Mosheh (Moses), Aharon, Nadab & Abinu ascending Mount Sinai:
Shemoth (Exodus) 24:10-11 and they saw the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl and under His feet like a paved work of sapphire stone and like the heavens for brightness. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand
against the chiefs of the children of Yisra’ĕl! And they saw Elohim and they ate and drank.
Considering all that the Yisraelites had experienced how totally strange it is that in Chapter 32 of Shemoth (Exodus) that they desert the words of Yahweh spoken through Mosheh and made an Idol to worship. What this shows is that Man in his own strength is unable to resist his own “Yetzar Ha Ra” or evil inclination.
We see the same happening with the Talmidim (the Disciples) so surely we too have the same issue if we rely on our own strength as we desire to increase in the Nature of Yahweh as we journey on our way to Shavuot (Pentecost) especially as we desire to use the 49 steps of refinement during what is known as “Counting the Omer.”
If these disciples who had been with Yahshua could not stand the test then what hope could there be for the rest of mankind! It is to the glorious promises as found in Scripture that we must turn, to encourage us.
Hebrews 2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Even though seeing the Resurrected Master was the most powerful experience that the Talmidim (Disciples) could have as we saw during the Passover week & beyond it was not sufficient for them to be able to fulfil what Yahshua was calling them to do. Yisrael had seen the hand of YHWH do many mighty signs and even experience his presence but when it came down to it they very quickly fell prey to their own sinful ways. In the above verse we read that Yahshua is able to aid those who are so prone to failure & need his strength so that is what we will look at:
Every believer has a promise from the Master who is able to empower us to be all that the disciples would become for Yahshua tells them in:
John 14:14-16 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
The Good News is that Yahshua promised to send us another helper whom we know as the RUACH Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit:
John 16: 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
What joy & comfort it is for us to know that Yahshua knew our weakened state & has given us such a blessed promise that the RUACH Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit) is given to all believers that we can be strong & establish the Kingdom of Elohim on this Earth not in our strength but in His.
The RUACH Ha Kodesh (The Holy Spirit):
The first humbling truth that we need to understand & that Kepha (Peter) also needed to understand is that every part of the believer’s life is a work of the RUACH Ha Kodesh (The Holy Spirit). We can do nothing in our own strength and we will now see how all credit goes to the mighty working of the RUACH Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) who is the Spirit of Machiach (Messiah) therefore when Yahshua promised to never leave us nor forsake us he was referring to the presence of the RUACH Ha Kodesh (The Holy Spirit) whom all believers possess & whom remains with us.
However ever at the resurrection the Talmidim (Disciples) were still in hiding fearing for their lives but at the Appearance of Yahshua not only did they receive revelation but as we will read something drastically changed.
To understand what happened we need to address the fact that before the Death & Resurrection of Yahshua the RUACH could not dwell with man but upon Yahshua’s perfect sacrifice Man now had Atonement for sin that the RUACH (Spirit) could dwell with man who was cleansed by the blood of the perfect Lamb of Elohim:
If this be the case then what are the Workings of the RUACH Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit):
The first Work of the RUACH Ha Kodesh (The Holy Spirit):
Many believers have been taught that the Holy Spirit was not given until Shavuot (Pentecost) but is this strictly the truth?
To understand the truth of the empowerment of the RUACH (Spirit) we need to turn to Scripture which tells something powerful:
Yochanan (John) 20: 21-22 So Yahshua said to them again, “Shalom (Peace) to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the RUACH Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit).
This verse speaks of the time when the Disciples are cringing behind locked doors for fear of death from the religious leaders not living in faith but absolute doubt & unbelief. Suddenly Yahshua appears to them & assures them that what the women had said was true & he rebukes them for their unbelief. This verse shows us something that we all need to understand. The first Work of the Holy Spirit is to bring faith alive in each of us, so Yahshua must breathe his RUACH (Spirit) into our life that we too can believe. It is also vital to remember that these same disciples after receiving the RUACH Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) at the resurrection made no attempt to tell anyone about the wondrous Besorah (the Good News) of Salvation but simple kept it to themselves & continued in fellowship, study & prayer.
The First Work of the RUACH Ha Kodesh (The Holy Spirit):
He convicts the World of sin and of righteousness, and of judgment: (Yochanan 16:8)
He leads the believer into all Truth.
He converts the Soul.
He Sanctifies the Believer.
He develops Character by building the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control.
He brings Assurance.
He causes the Word of Yahweh to be understood.
He imparts the Divine Nature.
He causes a hunger for the presence of Yahweh.
He draws us to prayer.
He strengthens us to believe.
Just as we have discovered through the Counting of the Omer that the journey to Sinai involves development of Character through Sanctification, Purity & Obedience none of which can be truly achieved without the work of the RUACH (the Spirit) unless it becomes legalistic or Ritualistic. It can only become Echad or one with YHWH by the work of the RUACH ha Kodesh the very Spirit of YHWH which the Disciples needed for them to attain spiritual knowledge and wisdom based on love the underlying heart of the Father.
With this understanding I love the way the following text brings that across in their wordings of the following:
2 KephAH (Peter) 1:5 Yes and for this very reason He adds to you all diligence, that in your faith He supplies moral excellence and through moral excellence, He supplies knowledge,
6 and through knowledge, He supplies self-control and through self-control persistence and through persistence He supplies the very nature of Almighty Loving YAH (God). 7 and through his nature, He supplies brotherly compassion and through brotherly compassion, He supplies YAH’s Love. (The King’s Covenant Version)
Most other versions have it like this:
2 Peter 1:5 But also for this very reason, do your utmost to add to your faith virtue, tovirtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance reverence, 7 to reverence brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
I suggest that it is a partnership between the RUACH Ha Kodesh & us to attain to the Character of Machiach (Messiah). This Unity with the RUACH is wonderfully expressed by Shaul (Paul) in the Following & shows that by being in Echad we become true children of Elohim:
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
The Road to Understanding:
Right at this moment we are on that road that the Talmidim were on. They had begun on the road facing failure and death but with the appearances of Yahshua after his Resurrection their Spirits had been revived and now he was instructing them that it was time for them to reflect. This means they had to repent of their unbelief and begin to engross themselves in the true knowledge of the Torah (Law), The Nevim (Prophets) and the Ketuvim (Writings)being the complete works of the Tankh (the Old Testament) with new eyes since there was no Brit Chadashah (New Testament) . They now understood in their own power they would fail but now through the indwelling RUACH their eyes would be opened. This however was not just a journey of knowledge but it was a journey of Character development and of removal of the Leaven of sin that lives in us. Again this must be seen not as committing great Sin but simply the sin of not allowing Yahweh to rule in all areas of life. We see that beautifully revealed in the words of the Master when he was praying before going out tothe Garden called Gethsemane where he would be tested after which his Talmidim (Disciples would be scattered:
Yochanan (John) 17:20- 23 And I do not pray for these alone, but also for those believing in Me through their word, 21 so that they all might be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so that they too might be one in Us, so that the world might believe that You have sent Me. 22 “And the esteem which You gave Me I have given them, so that they might be one as We are one, 23 “I in them, and You in Me, so that they might be perfected into one, so that the world knows that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Conclusion:
This Journey that the Yahudim (Jews) refer to as “Sefirat Ha Omer” the Counting of the Sheaves for us should be far more than just studying ways to improve our outward display of personality which if that is all it achieves falls short of the purpose that Yahweh has for us. It should however be a drawing near to Yahweh in order to let him begin his work through the RUACH of pruning casting out the old Leaven and receiving the New Leaven of Heaven which relates to being in “Echad” in unity firstly with each other and also with Yahweh.
That was the prayer that Yahshua brought before his Heavenly Father and that should be the aim for all of us. When we begin to be in unity and allow the RUACH to change our Hearts & Minds then we will be prepared, Purified & Sanctified to receive the next work of the RUACH Ha Kodesh which is to implant his Torah not on stone as it was at Sinai but more importantly to implant his Torah on our Hearts through the Power of the RUACH Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit).
Without a renewed Character we will never come to the fullness of what his Torah (Instructions) are meant to produce. If his Torah only accumulates knowledge it will never be in Yahshua desires for us.
Yahshua’s desire is that our Unity will be a sign to the World that Yahweh Elohim of all creation has sent Yahshua. This is why he says the following at the Last Supper:
Yochanan (John) 13:34- 35 A renewed command I give to you, that you love one another, as I
have loved you, that you also love one another. 35“By this shall all know that you are
My taught ones, if you have love for one another.”
Amein.