Our Elohim
Our Elohim
Our Elohim (God) is the Creator of all things. He has no beginning and no end. He set time in motion and breathed life into humanity. Not only did he create us, but He has made Himself known to us since the beginning of creation.
Though we have rebelled against Him and His Ways, He has has been merciful to us and has given us clear Instructions (Torah) to live righteously according to His standards.
To His servant, Moshe (Moses), He revealed His Name. In Hebrew, it is spelled יהוה (yod-heh-vav-heh, read right to left) and is pronounced Yehovah. His Name has three root words and, as all Hebrew names do, has meaning. His Name means hayah, hoveh, yihyeh (היה ,הווה, יהיה ) which means in English, “was, is, will be.”
He has many titles, such as Elohim (God), Savior, Almighty – but He can also be known to us as abba (Father). He also promises many things throughout the Scriptures (The Bible) which are far too many to count here. However, it is worth knowing that He promises to answer the prayers of the righteous and to give eternal life to those who give up their own lives to follow Him. He is also described as Spirit, Truth and Love. That is our Elohim.
Our Rabbi and Messiah
Our Rabbi and Messiah
Our Rabbi (Great One) is the Son of the Most High Elohim (God). His Name is Yeshua. He was born around 2,000 years ago and was crucified on a stake/cross. However, in fulfillment of prophecies spoken of the Anointed One of Elohim (Mashiach/Messiah), Yeshua rose from the dead three full days and three full nights later. He is still alive to this day.
Our Elohim gave us His Torah (Instructions) as part of His Covenant with us that if we obey His Commandments, He will be our Elohim and bless us. However, if we disobey and rebel, we shall be cursed. Each Commandment is an instruction on how to love the Most High Elohim with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength as well as to love others as we love ourselves.
As our Rabbi, Yeshua’s life and teachings serve as our example of how to live our own lives for Elohim as well as for others. Yeshua not only taught the Torah, but lived it and interpreted it against the man-made traditions that several religious leaders were inventing around the time He walked the earth. Through His sacrifice and death on the stake/cross, He conquered the grave and showed us that there is life after death. He promised, also, to return one day and to reign on earth as the King of kings, ruling with Justice and Righteousness – an authority given to Him by Yehovah (our Elohim).
He is described as the Word of Elohim made flesh. He further described Himself as the Way, Truth, and the Light. Therefore, we walk the true path alight by the Word. That is our Rabbi, Yeshua Messiah.
The Hebrew Scriptures
The Hebrew Scriptures
The Hebrew Scriptures often go by many names or titles. In modern times, the Bible is split into two “Testaments”; the Old and the New. However, as believers in Yeshua who taught that the Torah and the Prophets were to be upheld and not destroyed, we believe that the Bible is one Testament. There are, however, several sections. This is not universally understood, but the way I would like to describe the Scriptures are like this: Torah – This means “Instructions.”
The Torah is the first five Books of Scripture which are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In Hebrew, these Books are Barashit, Shemot, Vayikra, Bamidbar, and Devarim. Neve’im – This means “Prophets.”
Prophets are followers of Elohim who are often tasked with guiding His people back to a life of righteousness if they stray. They also often foretold the future as it was shown or told to them by Elohim. Some events will happen while others already have. Some that have already happened were because of the disobedience of the people that Elohim used His Prophets to warn if they did not make a change. Other Prophecies of judgment did not happen because the people heeded the warnings.
Ketuv’im – Writings. These are the various Books containing songs of praise, poems, and proverbs. They can also contain prophetic meanings. In Hebrew, the first letters of these words form the word “Tanak” and serves as the title for what many call the “Old Testament”, or, the “Hebrew Scriptures.” To take it a step further, there is the “New Testament” many refer to as the “B’rit Chadesha” which means “Renewed Covenant.”
There are the four Gospels (Good News) writings, the book of the Acts, the letters of the Apostles, and the Revelation of Yeshua that some consider to be the fifth Gospel.
I consider all of these writings to be part of the “Hebrew Scriptures” because Hebrew is not just a language – it is way of life, a people, and a holy nation who live according to the Word of Elohim; the Hebrew Scriptures.
Being Hebrew
Being Hebrew
The Word “Hebrew” in the Hebrew language is pronounced “Ivrit” and means to “cross over”. Avram (eventually named Avraham) “crossed over” physically and spiritually from his pagan homeland and into the land that would one day be known as Israel. Spiritually, he “crossed over” from the paganism (service to other/false gods) of his homeland and into Covenant with the one true Elohim, serving only Him. He would later become known as a Hebrew (Ivrit), or, a “crossed over one.”
Being Hebrew is to be set apart (kadosh/holy). We are set apart from the ways of the world and from the false-god worship of other religions. We do not serve or bow down to idols, statues, or carved images. We serve Yehovah Elohim who lives and is eternal, and as such, He will never rust or decay.
His promises are true and His ways are pure. When we enter into Covenant with Him, we become as new and we allow His Holy Spirit (Ruach Kodesh) to abide in us and guide us according to His Torah. Yeshua Messiah also taught and showed us the way of a true Hebrew, by teaching others how to live and to spread the good news of the Kingdom of Elohim.
We live for Elohim, loving Him and others (even those that persecute us) by Yeshua’s example with the promise of eternal life. Those who live now, before eternity, are tasked with spreading the message of the Kingdom – the message of love – that whoever does and teaches others to obey His Commandments will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven and never taste death.
Being Hebrew is to be set apart for His purposes and to see things from a Hebraic Perspective.