Ahavata YHWH ~
love... what it really means...
July 20, 2013 ~ Av 20, 5773
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Torah - D’varim / Deuteronomy 7:12- 11:25
Haftarah - Yesha'yahu /Isaiah 49:14 - 51:3
B’rit Chadashah - Yochanan /John 13:31 - 14:31
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Sh’ma
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Ahavata YHWH ~
love... what it really means...
We have talked before about the lack of understanding of what it means to love YHWH... and His people.
Think about this - how many teachings have you heard about “How to love YHWH” ?? !!
- i don’t believe i have heard any!
We have all experienced in christianity - that if you love someone you should forgive them.
Well there is truth in that... but loving someone isn’t about jumping into the “mud puddle” with them.... and not teaching them truth about whatever situation - based on the WORD of YHWH.
What i have come to know is -
I can’t love them - or teach them love - that is holy and truth....
...unless i know how to love YHWH.
Since this is not taught - most people don’t understand this.
It is time for this lack of understanding the truth to be done in our lives....
So ....
Ahavata YHWH... what it really means.......
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Last week’s torah portion was Va’etchanan (I pleaded)
D’varim /Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11
one of the most significant things in this portion is the Sh’ma and we need to go back to that to understand today’s teaching...
D’varim /Deut 6:4-9 cjb p 204
“Sh’ma, Yisra’el! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad. [Hear, Isra’el YHWH our God, YHWH is one.]; 5 and you are to love YHWH your God with all your lev/heart, all your being (soul, nephesh), and all our resources / might. 6 These words which i am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; 7 and you are to teach them diligently to your children. And speak of them when you walk by the sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when you retire and when you arise. 8 You are to bind them for a sign upon your hand and let them be frontlets between your eyes. 9 You are to write them on the door posts of your house and upon your gates.”
What do we know about the Sh’ma?
= the watch word of Isra’el and our faith.
= Remember ...
Ivrim/ Hebrews 10:24 cjb p 1504... according to Rav Mattityahu Nolan - used to say - and still SHOULD say....
.... “Do not forsake the Sh’ma together.”
It is what Daniel prayed - among other things... b/c that is what YHWH”s people pray 3 times a day...
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Okay - so we’ve got the Sh’ma....
Now let’s go to some verses in this week’s Torah portion...
D’varim 10:12-13 cjb p 209
“ So now, Isra’el, all that YHWH your Elohim asks from you is ....
to fear YHWH your Elohim, follow His ways, love Him and serve YHWH your Elohim with all your lev/heart and all your being/ soul/nephesh; 13 to obey, for your own good, the mitzvot and the regulations of YHWH which i am giving you today.”
Moshe is saying that all YHWH wants from Isra’el is ahava /love.
Let’s go to the B’rit Chadashah:
Mark 12: 28-31 cjb p 1279
Y’shua is asked what is the greatest mitzvoth of all of them??
And what does He answer?
Y’shua quotes D’varim 6:4-5 - what is known as “the Sh’ma”!!
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So the obvious question goes back to the title of this message...
How do we ahavata YHWH ?
How do we love YHWH?
First thing we need to realize is that Y’shua didn’t say...
“Love YHWH your God....”
He didn’t speak english
He spoke Ivri/ Hebrew.
So HE SAID....
“Ahavata YHWH....”
In our culture’s modern thought - love is a feeling and turns on and turns off.
The Ivri/Hebrew concept of love is very different.
So - just wash your mind right now - of the idea that love is that nice little feeling .... of what you think it means to “love”.
What you know right now - what you learned from this culture and yoru old belief system isn’t exactly what the original intention of the ahavata was.
Let’s go to...
D’varim 11:1 cjb p 209
“Therefore, you are to ahavata /love YHWH your Elohim /God and always obey/ guard his charge/ his commission, chukim/ regulations and mitzvot.”
Love or ahava is very different in the Hebrew mind than in today’s culture.
In Ivri/ Hebrew - love is connected directly with action and obedience.
“Sh’ma Yisra’el...”
Sh’ma = to hear and DO.
But the belief system we came out of will tell us... based on Greek thinking - that we don’t have to DO anything....
Well if that is true, why does Y’shua say... the greatest instruction is to “Sh’ma Yisra’el....” ???
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The root word “ahav” means to “have affection, sexually or otherwise, love, like to befriend, to be intimate.”
It brings to mind the idea of LONGING for or BREATHING FOR the Creator.
Hebraically “ahava” is a verb.
(this is where the doing comes in!!)
It is an act of doing something.
IT IS NOT A FEELING.
Ahava is also connected to appetite.
To ahava YHWH is to crave Him and His Word.
All throughout the Scriptures, “ahava” is related directly to Torah/ the Word.
Obedience to what the Torah instructs is the way mankind loves YHWH.
Yochanan 14:15, 23 cjb p 1350
15 “If you love me, you will keep my mitzvoth/ commands;”
23 “Y’shua answered him, “if someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our hoe with him.”
To ahavata YHWH, you must walk in submission to YHWH’s will and CRAVE that your life is pleasing to Him.
The Torah/ the Word teaches this over and over again.
When you love YHWH then your deepest desire is to connect with him.
Torah study is the way to discover this path of meaning.
Torah Chayim - literally the book “instructions for living” is YHWH’s communication to the world.
Daniel Rendelman says “It’s the ultimate repository for wisdom on how to succeed at marriage, parenting, community building, and fixing the world.... because Torah is the mind of The Living Elohim/God.”
“Successful Torah study - study of the Word is when it becomes an insatiable addiction.”
Ahavat Torah = the true love of Torah....
You become so overwhelmed that Torah study becomes your very essence and you want to absorb as much as you can.
Sound familiar ?
We crave the WORD because we want to know the LIVING WORD.
Torah study - creates in us an understanding that YHWH is the infinite source of all wisdom and defines and is “the ultimate in ‘meaning’”.
Other personal goals and desires do not compare and someone who is
Ahavat Torah will drop anything - change anything in their life that is not consistent with the Word and Will of YHWH
We know this is true... as we have learned... we have changed how we live and even how and when we worship. Praise Yah!
The Parashah / Torah study for today says...
D’varim 10:12-13 cjb p 209
“ So now, Isra’el, all that YHWH your Elohim asks from you is ....
to fear YHWH your Elohim, follow His ways, love Him and serve YHWH your Elohim with all your lev/heart and all your being/ soul/nephesh; 13 to obey, for your own good, the mitzvot and the regulations of YHWH which i am giving you today.”
When we love YHWH with all our lev/ heart, we are basically loosing our selves in and to Torah - HIS WORD.
And when you do ... your will is totally compliant to YHWH’s will in all areas of your life.
You all are learning this.... that when you learn HE says to do something - you do them... like wearing tzitziyot.
Tzitziyot is a great example... some of you are wearing them.... and some of you haven’t figured this out yet.... but when you do... you will live differently....
B’midbar /Numbers 15:38-40 cjb p 167
“Speak to the people of Yisra’el, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread. It is to be a tzitzit for you to look at and thereby remember all of YHWH’s mitzvot and obey them so you won’t go around wherever your own heart and eyes lead you to prostitute yourselves, but it will help you remember and obey all my mitzvot and be holy for your Elohim.”
To love YHWH is not an emotional feeling.
To love HIM the way He desires us to ahava Him, means to - completely give ourselves over to Him.... to abandon ourselves to Him...
no matter how we feel...
It means to set aside our life - so that HIS Life can come from our hearts.
Mattityahu 16:24 cjb p 1244
“Then Y’shua told his talmidim, “if anyone wants to come after me, let him say ‘no’ to himself, take up his execution-stake, and keep following me.”
This is what it means to ahavata YHWH.
Ahava means to “give”.
When you love - you give.
YHWH so loved the world that HE gave.... His Son - the HaMashiach...
Yochanan /John 14:21 cjb p 1350
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one hwo loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Fahter, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
THAT is true love.
When we love YHWH with all of ourselves... we are reconnecting to the original intention of Torah.
Yah created man to be indirect communication with Him - following His instructions/ mitzvot.
Following his mitzvot - his instructions - living holy - restores this fellowship!
To love YHWH is to obey Torah and therefore bridge the gap between us and YHWH.
The root word for mitzvot is “tsavah”.
“Tsavah” - literally means to “constitute or enjoin.”
The mitzvot of Torah enjoin Yisra’el back to YHWH.
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Let’s pause here... and turn to ...
Colossians 2:14 cjb p 1471
This is one of the main verses that the english translations imply that what was nailed to the stake or Tav - was the instructions of YHWH....
so we don’t have to keep Torah any more....
and we can do whatever we want - worship Him however and whenever we decide... celebrate holidays that we create - not the ones He said to do FOREVER THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS... etc...
Colossians 2:14
“He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution -stake.”
A more accurate translation reads.... “He wiped away the documented opinions of men that were against us and adversely affecting us (our sins) , and too them from our midst, nailing them to the execution-stake.”
If this meant the instructions/ law / Torah of YHWH it would be saying that the things of YHWH are evil... that they had to be nailed to the stake.
Further more if His purpose was to end Torah - Y’shua wouldn’t have kept it... and neither would his talmidim.
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Now let’s go back to the idea that keeping YHWH’s instructions -
actually living holy as he instructed us
- doing what HE said.... draws us closer to Him and restores our relationship with Him....
Then the opposite is also true....
Sin, or breaking Torah separates humanity from the Holy.
I Yochanan /John 3:4 cjb p 1526
“Everyone who keeps sinning is violating Torah - indeed sin is violation of Torah.”
Torah-less-ness reveals a lack of love for YHWH.
Torah-less-ness is a lack of love for YHWH.
“If you love me you will keep my commands/ instruction/ Torah.”
How do we Ahavata YHWH?
We keep Torah -
We live holy.
Remember the word “ahava” - is about craving.
Daniel Rendelman makes an important point when he says...
“People have an inward craving and desire to love but hey fill this void”.... with anything that feels good.
only to find out - that wasn’t enough - so they keep searching.. because a lot of things have the appearance of satisfaction.......
But nothing fills that void but - YHWH...
and it won’t be filled until they start living as HE instructed.
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Finally, to love YHWH with all that you are - and all your resources ... is to serve him with ALL of you...
This ahava is deep.
“Y’shua once came in contact with a rich man who kept many of the mitzvot but did not fully devote himself to YHWH.
( in Mark 10:17-27 cjb p 1276)
“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Tov/good Master, what shall i do to inherit eternal chayim/life? And Y’shua said unto him, why do you call me tov? No one is tov, except one, that is YHWH. You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your abba and your em (mother). And he said, All these things have kept from my youth up.
Now then when Y’shua heard these things, he said to him, ‘ Yet you lack one thing: sell all that you have and distribute unit to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich,”
= The man had to do something, to shoe his love for YHWH.
The proof is int he actions, not just the words.
And they can’t be just actions that WE decide what they mean....
They have to be actions that HE directs.
Just like Yisra’el at Sinai - and they built a golden calf and Aharon said.... “tomorrow we worship YHWH here.” They were worshiping YHWH - their way - not YHWH’s way....
and what was the result?
YHWH was going to kill them but for Moshe.
He doesn’t appreciate things unless they are done HIS way - because we are called to be HOLY - and any other way - a tradition of man is NOT holy.
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D’varim 11: 13-21 cjb p 210
... you are to ahavata YHWH your Elohim and serve him with all your lev/ heart, and all your being/ soul/ nephesh, ...
Read D’varim 11: 18-21 again
We are to obey his instructions no matter what the cost.
If we really LOVE - Ahavata YHWH - we will obey HIM.
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Now let’s go back to something i said a bit ago...
If you AHAVA - you give... and YHWH gave His Son...
His Beina = the plan for restoration....
Let’s talk about why YHWH needed to give His Son....
Let’s review the teaching on the 2 Kingdoms....
From the beginning of HEBREWS - Yisra’el is one kingdom.
They leave Egypt - one ... even the foreigners that are with them... are treated the same and expected to live the same unto YHWH by YHWH...
The time of the Judges - they are one kingdom
The time of the Kings - they are one kingdom....
UNTIL.... King Shlomo /Solomon dies....
M’lakhim Alef /I Kings 12....
Rechav’am /Rehoboam - the son of King Shlomo/ Solomon - a Judahite and
Yarov’am/ Jeroboam - an Ephramite
take over Yisra’el - and so Yisra’el is split.
The Two Kingdoms of Yisra’el - separated in 931 BC
“If we don’t understand the 2 Kingdoms, then we don’t understand 7/8 ths of the Word/ Torah!”
- The Northern Kingdom - also known as The House of Yisra’el,
also known as Ephraim
- Yarov’am/ Jeroboam is king - an Ephramite
- Shomron/ Samaria = the capitol
- Captured by Assyria in 721 BC... they lost their identity - and never came back to the land or the Covenant... and were dispersed into all the nations.
- YHWH divorced them in Yirmeyahu/ Jeremiah 3:6,8.
- They are called “Out of Covenant people” = “gentile”, and “the lost sheep” (Yirmeyahu 50:6), and “those who are far off” (Yesha'Yahu/Isaiah 57:19, Hoshea 8:8-12)
- They have forgotten the name of YHWH (Yirmeyahu 23:27)
- They are the lost 10 tribes = Re’uven, Shim’on, Naftali, Zvulun, Yissakhar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Yosef = Ephrayim, and M’nasheh, and part of Benyamin.
- The NEED: repentance of man’s traditions and false teachings and the rejection of Torah.
- They are Christianity today.
2. The Southern Kingdom - also known as The House of Judah, also known as Judah.
- Rechav’am /Rehoboam - the son of King Shlomo/ Solomon - a Judahite
- Yerushalayim/ Jerusalem - capital
- Captured by Babylon in 586 BC - for 70 years, but came back to the land of Yisra’el in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
- Destruction of 2nd Temple and Rome captured and then dispersed into the world, but kept their faith and traditions. They came back to the land of Yisra’el in 1948.
- They never lost their identity. They were punished but not divorced b/c of YHWH’s promise to David. (B’resheet/ Gen. 49:10).
- They are called - “those who are near” (Yesha’Yahu 57:19), and “those who are my people” (Hoshea 2:23)
- They reject Y’shua as HaMashiach/ Messiah
- They are 2 tribes mainly - Judah, Levi and part of Benyamin.
- They are Jews today - (mostly Benyamin in Yisra’el)
- They need repentance of man’s additions to Torah and not accepting Mashiach.
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Yechezk’el/ Ezekiel 34, 36
Yechezk’el 37: 15-28 - Two sticks/ trees
Romans 11:1-27 - two olive trees
Yechezk’el 39: 25-27 -When and where Yisra’el and Judah come together.
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The Good News:
D’varim/Deuteronomy 24:1-4 - husband can’t remarry his divorced, defiled wife.
Eph 1:9 - secret plan
Eph 2:13-19
Those who are out of covenant can return and the BRIDE can be whole.
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Okay - let’s talk about The Good News of Scripture....
Harbour LIght Ministries theme chapter:
Yesha’Yahu /Isaiah 61 cjb p 533
61:1 -- “The Spirit of YHWH Elohim is upon me, because YHWH has anointed me to announce good news to the poor...
The Good News in the Torah - both the Tanakh (OT) and the B’rit Chadashah (NT) isn’t focused on the blood of Messiah covering our individual sins - although that is very true and that is Good News!
Over and over - the Good News is that the ones who are out of covenant - who have been divorced, can teshuvah - return to covenant - “they” as a people - and so the BRIDE - those in covenant - who don’t know Messiah, and those out of covenant - who have been so far off they don’t know or keep Torah - can all return to covenant - so the bride can be spotless and pure...
So that Y’shua HaMashiach can return and there can be a wedding and marriage supper of the Lamb.
The Good News is that we can come back!!!
Ephesians 1:9 cjb p 1459
“he has made known to us his secret plan, which by his own will he designed beforehand in connection with the Messiah.”
Ephesians 2:13-19 cjb p 1460
“But now, you who were once far off (N. Kingdom and all out of covenant) have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood. 14 For he himself is our shalom - he has made us both one and has broken down the m chitzah (wall) which divided us 15 by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. (the idea that we don’t have to keep Torah) He did this in order to create in uion with himself from the TWO GROUPS a single new humanity (one new man - the BRIDE) and thus make shalom, 16 and in order to reconcile to YHWH both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus himself killing tat enmity.
17 Also, when he came, he announced as Good News shalom to you far off (N Kingdom) and shalom to those nearby (S Kingdom), 18 news that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then, you are no longer foreigners and stranger (N Kingdom) On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with YHWH’s people and members of YHWH’s family (“shaar” = the remnant!!).”
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No imagine how this was for a bit....
In Yirmeyahu / Jeremiah 3: 6-10 YHWH divorces Yisra’el the Northern Kingdom....
all of Heaven knew the Torah... and they must have been silenced by awe... b/c when YHWH did that... HE couldn’t remarry her....
because he had made a law in D’varim/ Deut 24:1-4 cjb p 223... that the Bride groom could not remarry the Bride.
So that is why Y’shua had to die... because when the bridegroom died... that law that said he couldn’t remarry her was no longer valid!!!
We talked a lot about AHAVA....
But dying so we could be restored back into covenant ...
Now that is the Ahavata OF YHWH...
and when we understand that ...
we will have a passion to pursue learning how to Ahavata YHWH
AMEIN.
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