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1. Man's Duty
We live in a world in which the Law of the Most High is given little or no attention. Sad to say even in the churches YaHuWaH 's Torah is considered by many to be obsolete, a veritable burden and of little practical use to the new-covenant believer. Is this conclusion the Truth:? and if so does the Bible teach it? Listen to these words of wisdom by two of the wisest men that ever walked this Earth. (Solomon son of David and YAHUSHUA the Messiah, Son of YaHuWaH)
- Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13
- Fear Elohim and keep (Hebrew - keep: cherish, guard, and protect) His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
- YAHUSHUA said in Matthew 19:16-17
- And behold one came and said unto Him, 'Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?' And He said unto him. 'Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but One, that is, YaHuWaH : but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
In view of such statements let all beware of classifying the Almighty's Torah as being obsolete.
2. The Greatest Commandment
Yes the commandments are important no matter what people may say: and some commandments are more important than others. In Matthew 22:36-39 we discover this fact.
| Question: | Master, which is the great commandment in the Torah? |
| Answer: | YAHUSHUA said unto him:
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Let us examine those two important words 'fear' and 'love' as used in these passages of Scripture.
3. Fear YaHuWaH
English 'fear:' An unpleasant emotion caused by the nearness of danger or expectation of pain.
Or the reverence or awe felt for YaHuWaH.
Hebrew 'yare': to fear, revere, be afraid, stand in awe of, honor, respect.
Greek 'phobos': fear, dread, terror; or reverence for one's husband
When used in connection with man's duty to YaHuWaH, the word 'fear' means primarily to 'hold YaHuWaH in reverential awe;' to consider Him so great a person that His will must be placed above one's own. To fear YaHuWaH means to be afraid to the extent of abandoning one's own wishes in favor of His - to walk in His ways. It is an expression which begins with holy awe, progresses to respectful admiration and matures to reverential love and worship. And mature love always manifests itself in willing obedience. This process begins a chain of benefits.
| Wisdom | |
|---|---|
| Psalm 111:10 | "The fear of YaHuWaH is the beginning of wisdom: and a good understanding have they that do His commandments." |
Fountain of Life |
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| Proverbs 14:26-27 | "In the fear of YaHuWaH is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of YaHuWaH is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." |
| Proverbs 15:16 | "Better is a little with the fear of YaHuWaH than great treasure and trouble therewith." |
| Proverbs 19:23 | "The fear of YaHuWaH tendeth to life: and he that hath it abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil." |
4. Love YaHuWaH
The word 'love' is probably the most misunderstood word in the English language. It means different things to different people. Just say the word 'love' and into a dozen minds will spring a dozen different ideas. Your concept of the word 'love' will be somewhat different to others. In view of these differences of opinion how can we express our 'love' to YaHuWaH ? What do we have to do? How can we be sure that our love is the type of love the Most High is calling for? The Messiah answers these difficult questions for us in these words.
| John 14:15 | If ye love Me, keep My commandments. |
| v 21 | He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me ... |
| v 24 | He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent Me. |
We see here that obedience is proof of love; and disobedience is proof that love is absent. Obedience is, in fact, faith and love in action. The Bible says that obedience is better than praise or sacrifice and that in the courts of heaven is the most acceptable testimony a believer can give.
| 1 Samuel 15:22 | And Samuel said: Hath YaHuWaH as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of YaHuWaH ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. |
In the final analysis we will all be judged, not by how much we possess, not by how much we know or understand or even by how much we praise YaHuWaH ; but by whether we obey Him or not. And though we are not justified (cleared of past sins) by the deeds of obedience, (for justification comes through faith in Messiah) we are nevertheless evaluated, graded and rewarded according to the deeds done in this life. Please see the study on Works ... Are they Important?
5. How are We to Obey?
Question: To what extent is obedience expected of us?
Answer: Thou shalt love YaHuWaH Elohim with all thy heart, mind and soul.
This is not just a 'New Testament' concept or command. It is old: and it was, and still is, possible to keep; as the following examples prove.
| Deuteronomy 6:5 | And thou shalt love YaHuWaH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. . |
| 1 Chronicles 29:2 | I have prepared with all my might ... |
| 2 Kings 23:25 | And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to Adonai with all his might ... |
Notice how YaHuWaH wants the whole individual; not to become a slave-like robot incapable of individual thought who mechanically does what he is told. YaHuWaH wants His followers to respect, love and obey Him, with heart and soul. That, according to king Solomon, is the whole duty of mankind: and, as the Savior said, was the entrance to life.
Summary
- The wisest men in both the Old and New Testaments (Solomon and YAHUSHUA the Messiah) recommend obedience to YaHuWaH 's Torah as a duty and as evidence of living faith and true love.
- Reverential awe of the Most High brings in its train: wisdom, confidence and safety. Obedience is in itself a Fountain of Life.
- Obedience is love in action. It is proof of living faith and is far better than sacrifice or praise.
- Believers are invited to love YaHuWaH, which means to obey Him with total commitment - with everything we've got - with all our physical, mental and spiritual powers. It is possible as the examples quoted prove.
Joy By Surprise
