11.10.25 ~ Salty Happy Light
Good morning!
Some of you had part of your 'salt' study that did not come through in yesterday's study (11/09). Let me know and I'll resend where your study was cut off :-). Word on the block says, "it's a salty read and worth a closer look at Mrs. Lot turning into a pillar of salt".
On this past Shabbat, we were privileged to have a dynamic man visit our study. We had a fiery discussion and when it was all over, everyone knew there was 'iron sharpening iron' (Prov. 27:17). Part of our discussion included how Scripture reveals righteousness in relationship to works. Fortunately, through Scripture, the potentially ‘muddy-water’ topic of righteousness and works became clear as dirty water that's been run through a spiritual RO system.
The Torah, God's instruction manual for daily living and whether believers should keep it is one of those potentially ‘muddy-water’ topics. For some it's their preference whether they keep it or not. For others it’s a definite NO, thinking it's only for the Jewish people. For others, it’s a YES. And still, others are fairly lenient and believe that keeping commandments/mitzvot (outside the big 10 words/devarim) are intellectual and spiritual, not to be physically lived out for the world to see. Wow, talk about ‘muddy-water’.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), Yeshua addresses this topic of how we should live a ‘Kingdom’ lifestyle. How to live ‘happy’? How to live ‘salty’ (please finish yesterday's study...look up each verse :-). How to live as ‘light’? Each facet of living connects directly to one another. None are separated from one another.
Yeshua ties them all together in Matthew 5:17-20, “think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy/kataloo-o, but to fulfil/pleroo. For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt.5:17-20)
As we've seen in previous studies, happiness, salt and light are all action words. Each display works to be seen. Each is connected to a Torah-based lifestyle, one that imitates the life of Yeshua, the law and the prophets. The message of the law, the Torah (instructions of Yahweh), is given to bless the lives of individuals who live them…living them makes you happy :-) By living them you prevent corruption of your own life and of those who you come in contact with (Salt). By doing these good works of light (Torah), it dispels darkness and provides light for your path and those walking with you.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psa 119:105)
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Prov. 6:23)
Paul reemphasized this to the grafted in believers of Ephesus when he said,
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. (Eph. 5:13)
It’s for this reason that Yeshua said in His intercessory prayer...
Sanctify them in truth, thy word is truth (Jn. 17:17)
And why He also said to His disciples, that He didn’t come to ‘destroy’ the law and the Prophets, but rather to fulfill them (make them fully known).
Within the culture of Yeshua’s day, to ‘destroy’ something was to misrepresent it; to tear it down. On the ‘flip-side’ of that same coin, to ‘fulfill’ something was to make it fully known in truth.
By the time Yeshua came on the scene, the Torah, Yahweh’s instructions, had been ‘destroyed’. There was so much confusion on whether to keep them, how to keep them and why to keep them…the same issues we have today. Hence, the world of that day sat in darkness (Isa. 8:20). Yes, they went to synagogue. Yes, they kept Sabbath. Yes, they did a lot of things, yet they still sat in darkness. How can that be?
For those in darkness it had become ritual rather than righteous relationship; Legal living versus loving behavior. Self-righteousness, likened to filthy rags, rather than Yah-centered righteousness (Deut. 6:23-25), likened to a wedding garment (Rev. 19:7,8).
Fortunately, during Yeshua’s day (and the trend continues), there was a remnant of individuals who desired His Ways. If there hadn’t been that remnant then the nation would have been as Sodom and Gomorrah.
There is a remnant today! No, it’s not Christianity as a whole. It’s found within. Within the lives of individuals who refuse to submit to a system that ‘destroys’ the law and the Prophets.
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isa. 8:20)
It’s found within the lives of individuals who refuse to let their ‘salt’ lose its saltiness. It’s found within the lives of those who refuse to let their light go out. It’s found in those who are ‘doers’ of the Word, not just hearers. It’s found in those who let their light (torah-based lifestyle) shine, so that men may see their good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).
Wouldn’t it make sense, if we are going to imitate Messiah Yeshua that we wouldn’t destroy them either? Let's clean up this spiritual water: Live the remnant lifestyle! Enjoy your work week. Shabbat will be here before you know it :-)!
Shalom,
Alan
On this past Shabbat, we were privileged to have a dynamic man visit our study. We had a fiery discussion and when it was all over, everyone knew there was 'iron sharpening iron' (Prov. 27:17). Part of our discussion included how Scripture reveals righteousness in relationship to works. Fortunately, through Scripture, the potentially ‘muddy-water’ topic of righteousness and works became clear as dirty water that's been run through a spiritual RO system.
The Torah, God's instruction manual for daily living and whether believers should keep it is one of those potentially ‘muddy-water’ topics. For some it's their preference whether they keep it or not. For others it’s a definite NO, thinking it's only for the Jewish people. For others, it’s a YES. And still, others are fairly lenient and believe that keeping commandments/mitzvot (outside the big 10 words/devarim) are intellectual and spiritual, not to be physically lived out for the world to see. Wow, talk about ‘muddy-water’.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), Yeshua addresses this topic of how we should live a ‘Kingdom’ lifestyle. How to live ‘happy’? How to live ‘salty’ (please finish yesterday's study...look up each verse :-). How to live as ‘light’? Each facet of living connects directly to one another. None are separated from one another.
Yeshua ties them all together in Matthew 5:17-20, “think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy/kataloo-o, but to fulfil/pleroo. For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt.5:17-20)
As we've seen in previous studies, happiness, salt and light are all action words. Each display works to be seen. Each is connected to a Torah-based lifestyle, one that imitates the life of Yeshua, the law and the prophets. The message of the law, the Torah (instructions of Yahweh), is given to bless the lives of individuals who live them…living them makes you happy :-) By living them you prevent corruption of your own life and of those who you come in contact with (Salt). By doing these good works of light (Torah), it dispels darkness and provides light for your path and those walking with you.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psa 119:105)
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Prov. 6:23)
Paul reemphasized this to the grafted in believers of Ephesus when he said,
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. (Eph. 5:13)
It’s for this reason that Yeshua said in His intercessory prayer...
Sanctify them in truth, thy word is truth (Jn. 17:17)
And why He also said to His disciples, that He didn’t come to ‘destroy’ the law and the Prophets, but rather to fulfill them (make them fully known).
Within the culture of Yeshua’s day, to ‘destroy’ something was to misrepresent it; to tear it down. On the ‘flip-side’ of that same coin, to ‘fulfill’ something was to make it fully known in truth.
By the time Yeshua came on the scene, the Torah, Yahweh’s instructions, had been ‘destroyed’. There was so much confusion on whether to keep them, how to keep them and why to keep them…the same issues we have today. Hence, the world of that day sat in darkness (Isa. 8:20). Yes, they went to synagogue. Yes, they kept Sabbath. Yes, they did a lot of things, yet they still sat in darkness. How can that be?
For those in darkness it had become ritual rather than righteous relationship; Legal living versus loving behavior. Self-righteousness, likened to filthy rags, rather than Yah-centered righteousness (Deut. 6:23-25), likened to a wedding garment (Rev. 19:7,8).
Fortunately, during Yeshua’s day (and the trend continues), there was a remnant of individuals who desired His Ways. If there hadn’t been that remnant then the nation would have been as Sodom and Gomorrah.
There is a remnant today! No, it’s not Christianity as a whole. It’s found within. Within the lives of individuals who refuse to submit to a system that ‘destroys’ the law and the Prophets.
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isa. 8:20)
It’s found within the lives of individuals who refuse to let their ‘salt’ lose its saltiness. It’s found within the lives of those who refuse to let their light go out. It’s found in those who are ‘doers’ of the Word, not just hearers. It’s found in those who let their light (torah-based lifestyle) shine, so that men may see their good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).
Wouldn’t it make sense, if we are going to imitate Messiah Yeshua that we wouldn’t destroy them either? Let's clean up this spiritual water: Live the remnant lifestyle! Enjoy your work week. Shabbat will be here before you know it :-)!
Shalom,
Alan
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