Tag Archives: King

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the eighteenth article in the series, Yeshua is the Promised King.

While the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, they were governed by Moses who took his orders directly from Yehovah (Ex 3).  Yehovah was King and ruler over the people. Moses passed on the commands of Yehovah and Moses judged the people according to the law he had received from Yehovah (Ex 19:25). 

When Moses died, Joshua took over the role of leader and judge, still guided by Yehovah (Num 27:18-23).  After the Israelites were settled in the Promised Land, they were governed by a series of judges (Judges 2:18-19).  The Israelites began clamoring for a king because the other nations had kings to rule over them (1 Sam 8:4-9).  The Israelites had forgotten two things:  they already had a King and His name was Yehovah and they were not to strive to be like the other nations but were to be set apart. For you are a people holy [set apart] to [Yehovah] your God. [Yehovah] your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession (Deut 7:6).

In order to interact with Yehovah, the Israelites had to operate in the spiritual realm because Yehovah is a Spirit.  Most of the Israelites were not ready to deal in the spiritual realm; thus, the need for prophets and judges who were guided by the Holy Spirit. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God (2 Pet 20-21). [Yehovah] replied, “Take Joshua, son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people (Num 27:18-21).

As we read in Scripture, the judges did not always obey the voice of Yehovah.  The people recognized that there was a problem, but dealt with the problem in the physical realm.  The human judges weren’t working out, so the Israelites clamored for a human king.  Why did they forget that Yehovah was their King?  They were relating more to the human leader than to Yehovah.  Having a human king did not resolve the problem, but in many ways exacerbated the difficulties.  In 1 and 2 Kings, we see that most of the kings were actually leading the people away from Yehovah to follow false gods. 

Yeshua is not only our perfect Lamb, our Deliverer, and our Resurrection, but He is Yehovah’s gracious answer to humankind’s clamor for a human king who will always obey Yehovah.  Yeshua is both the only begotten son of Yehovah as well as a human like us!  He is the promise that Yehovah gave through Moses.  [Yehovah] your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die” (Deut 18:15). Yeshua is Yehovah, but He is also a human with whom we can relate.

Yeshua will return to the earth one day to reign as the promised King.  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, … (Matt 25:31-46).  Those of us who belong to Yeshua yearn for Him to come soon.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yehovah (Matt 23:39)!

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living.

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , , , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the sixteenth article in the series, Yeshua is haMashiach at Father’s Right Hand.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God (Heb 10:12).

What does it mean for us that Yeshua sits at the right hand of Yehovah?  There are several aspects to consider in this verse.  First of all, the word “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos and it means anointed one. Mashiach is the Hebrew word for anointed one and Messiah is the English word for Mashiach.  In Biblical times and, even sometimes today, an individual who was about to take on a role such as king, prophet or priest, was anointed with oil as a sign of his new designation.  Yeshua is our King (John 18:36), Prophet (Deut 18:15) and High Priest (Heb 4:14-16); thus, it is fitting that He is referred to as haMashiach (the Anointed).  The oil used for consecration is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.  When Yehovah told a prophet such as Moses or Samuel to anoint someone with oil, it indicated that Yehovah was appointing and equipping that person with His Spirit for the new assignment (Ex 28:41; 1 Sam 16:13). 

Was Yeshua anointed?  Yes, more than once.  In Luke 4:18, Yeshua tells that He was anointed.  “The Spirit of Yehovah is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed…”  It is possible that He was anointed by the astrologers who brought him gifts because myrrh was used to anoint kings and was also used for burial.  Yeshua was anointed again before his death and burial. While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table…(Matthew 26:6–13).

Yehovah empowers us for our assignments from Him by pouring His Holy Spirit upon us. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him (1 John 2:27).

Yeshua now sits on His throne at the right hand of Yehovah. Sitting at the right hand of a king is a symbol of authority.  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matt 28:16).  From His throne, Yeshua commissions us to “make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19).  From His position at the right hand of His Father, Yeshua intercedes for us (Rom 8:34), serves as our High Priest (Heb 8:1, 4:14-16), mediates between His Father and us (1 Tim 2:5); and is our advocate in Heaven (1 John 2:1).

Yeshua also anoints and equips us with the Holy Spirit to carry out our assignments in the Kingdom. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today (Acts 2:33). As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him (1 John 2:27). As we carry out the tasks that Messiah Yeshua has assigned to each of us on earth, we are mandated to keep our focus on our Leader. So, if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1 HCSB).

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living.

Kings or Servants?

Nancy's blogs, , , ,

if we endure

As children of YHVH, are we servants or kings? Actually, we are both.

We are servants of YHVH (Acts 16:17; 1 Cor. 4:1). Before we were born again, we were servants to the enemy (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Sometimes we still are, when we stray from YHVH’s way (Rom 6:16). YHVH cares for us and serves us, even though He is our Father and King. Therefore, because we are His servants, we serve others, as He guides us (1 John 5:3).

As children of YHVH, we are also kings (Rev 3:21, 5:10). We have been given authority over our environment (Gen 1:26; Ps 8:6). Our homes, possessions and the atmosphere around us are subject to our authority. Our authority comes from Yeshua, Who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Sometimes, we forget that our authority does not originate with us. Do we use our authority solely for our own pleasure or do we use our authority to advance the kingdom of YHVH?

Yeshua provides the perfect example for us. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, yet He came to earth the first time as a servant. He did not forget His identity as King, but He also did not let that identity sidetrack Him from His mission, even when He was tempted by the enemy. While He was on earth, He followed only the will of His Father, not His own will (John 6;38). He served others, even when it wasn’t convenient (Matt. 14:13-14). He made it clear that He was a king and explained how His kingdom operates (Matt 5-7).

Why didn’t Yeshua assume the throne here on earth the first time? Right now, there is another king on the throne over this earth who has many followers and servants (John 18:36). Yeshua was not given all authority in heaven and on earth until He completed His first earthly mission (Matt 28:18). As His followers and subjects, we will not come fully into our glory until we have completed our earthly missions.

For now we are mostly servants, but there must be a balance, just as there was with Yeshua. He came to serve others, but He remained aware of His kingly identity. He understood and used His authority, yet remained always subject to His Father’s commands. It is the same for us.

Some believers are excellent servants, but have lost or confused their identity as children of YHVH. We seem unaware of our value and worth and we often assume false modesty. Sometimes we use our false modesty as an excuse to avoid taking on accountability or responsibility. We cannot do the great work that YHVH assigns us because we mistakenly believe we are too unworthy or inadequate. On our own, this may be true, but we are not on our own. We operate under and with the authority of Yeshua. With Yeshua’s authority, we are quite powerful and can be very effective in YHVH’s kingdom.

On the other hand, some of us live like kings, but with self-serving demands. We live for ourselves and our own pleasure, paying mere lip service at best to our Father’s directions and commands. We are not interested in participating in His harvest or kingdom work.

If we do lower ourselves to servant mode, it is to serve those whom we approve or accept. Yeshua served many disagreeable characters while He was on the earth. If Yeshua reached out to sinful, undesirable people, then we who are also sinful have no valid reason to turn up our noses. Our righteousness, dignity and worth come from Yeshua’s redemptive work on our behalf. We must forsake self interest. If we are well-balanced servants, willing to work effectively in building His kingdom, then we will be prepared to reign with King Yeshua when He returns in glory.

The Overlooked Sin

Nancy's blogs, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

no one comes to the Father

The Jews had an opportunity to accept their Messiah or reject Him at His first coming. While many Jews accepted Yeshua as their kinsmen Redeemer and King, the majority did not. Over the centuries, many peoples have hated and persecuted the Jews, citing the rejection and crucifixion of Yeshua as “justification.” Many people smugly criticize the Jews and yet are guilty of the same sin.

The same challenge is presented to each of us. Do we accept Yeshua as our Redeemer and King? Have we asked for forgiveness of our sins and invited Yeshua to be King over us?

Jewish leaders resented Yeshua’s criticism of their man-made traditions and their hypocrisy. They wanted to do things their own way (Luke 6:1-12; Luke 7:29-30). They refused the help they so desperately needed.   Some people today say that belief in God is for weak people, not recognizing that they, too, are weak people who very much need a Savior. They believe that they are capable of running their own lives and sometimes the lives of others without Yeshua’s help.

Jewish people were looking for a leader who would save them from physical oppression (John 6:14-15). They didn’t realize that the spiritual oppression Yeshua overcame is far more serious and is also the root cause of the physical oppression. Many people today are focused solely on the physical realm, unaware or misunderstanding the spiritual realm. We can choose to renounce our subjection to Satan and embrace the salvation offered by Yeshua, but it is a choice that each of us must make in order to enter the Kingdom of YHVH.

Jewish people believed that being born Jewish was sufficient or that following the traditions and rituals established by men would secure them a place with YHVH.

Many people today believe that it is enough to be a “basically good person” or to belong to a particular denomination or congregation. Many people do not recognize their own sins, especially the most glaring one, the sin of rejecting Yeshua as their Redeemer (Luke 5:32).

Yeshua died a gruesome, violent death to pay the penalty for our sins and to ransom us from the grip of the evil one. Do we honestly believe that we can ignore Yeshua’s redemptive work and make our own way into the Kingdom of YHVH? If this were true, then Yeshua’s work would have been a waste of time and effort. Do you honestly assume that YHVH made the agonizing decision to send His precious Son to be slaughtered on our behalf, but is now willing to overlook our rejection of His beloved Son and His hard-earned gift of salvation?

Do not be deceived. No matter how “good” you are and no matter how exemplary your life has been, you have absolutely nothing to offer that can save you from eternal damnation. You are like a drowning person who has been thrown a precious Lifeline. However, it is necessary to seize and cling to this Lifeline in order to be acceptable to YHVH.