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Do Not Be Dismayed

Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 46:27-28 
27 “But do not fear, Ya’aqov my servant, neither be dismayed, Israel; for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Ya’aqov shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
28 Do not fear, Ya’aqov my servant,” says YHWH; “for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you; but I will not make a full end of you, but I will correct you in measure, and will in no wise leave you unpunished.”

In the fast-paced world of today, when everything is changing at a rate in which it is difficult to keep abreast of these changes, knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate.  For example, in the area of computers, if one buys a computer at a store, by the time he gets it home and turns it on, it is practically out of date; i.e., there are newer and better computers already available.  This is only in one area, and there are many other areas in which advances are happening at an equally rapid rate.  In 2008, the totality of knowledge doubled three times.  There are many such areas, and it is nearly impossible for the average person to keep up with the rapidity of change and the nearly infinite amount of advances in the world today.

Matithyah (Matthew) 24:6-8 
6 “And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you be not troubled; for these things must come to pass; but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 But all these things are just the beginning of travail.”

Then there are the many places today in which there are wars, conflicts, and police actions taking place in order supposedly to bring peace to that particular region or to introduce to them a better form of government.  The conflicts in the Mideast are particularly troubling to those who believe in Messiah or are of Jewish descent.  However, even with all the turmoil in the world today, and all that is changing, there is no need for the talmid of Yeshua to be troubled or to live in fear of these things.

Yochanan (John) 14:1 
“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in Elohim, believe also in Me.”

Yeshua repeats this same message again a few verses later.

Yochanan (John) 14:27 
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.”

It is His shalom (peace) He gives that enables one to live a life free of internal conflict.  Even if one’s particular circumstances are such that he is embroiled in conflict of any kind, a person can still have a deep abiding shalom (peace) deep within his own heart and life because of the presence of Mashiach Yeshua in him via the Holy Spirit. 

Romans 8:31 
What then shall we say to these things?  If Elohim is for us, who is against us?

In answer to Shaul’s question as to who can be against the follower of Mashiach Yeshua, the answer is:  no one of any consequence!  Sure, others can come against him, but whatever the outcome, one can still have inner shalom.  He knows how the story ends; he has already read the end of the book.  He knows that Yeshua our Mashiach has already won the victory.  One can continue to share in that victory as long as he humbles himself before YHWH, and makes Him his Elohim and obeys His Voice.

However, it is this very point that marks one of the great distinctions between those who dwell in Babylon and are part of the Babylonian system, and those who dwell in Israel and are part of His kingdom.  Those in Babylon are full of pride and seek to be proud of all sorts of things, particularly themselves.  However, those who are part of His kingdom, know and understand that without YHWH, they are nothing and have nothing about which to boast, except perhaps in YHWH Himself.  As Ya’aqov says of boasting concerning oneself, all such boasting is evil.

Ya’aqov (James) 4:16
But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

Brothers and sisters in Mashiach, there is no place in His kingdom for pride.  Each person is to humble himself before YHWH in all things and at all times.  It is when a person becomes puffed up and begins to utter great and boastful things that cannot be supported by His word, that one steps into sin.  Let each one guard his tongue carefully and fearfully, in the fear of YHWH our Elohim, knowing that each one will have to answer for that which comes out of his mouth.

Matithyah (Matthew) 12:36-37
36 “And I say to you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment.
37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”

Please recall the words of Pharaoh as recorded in parasha Bo.

Shemot (Exodus) 10:28 
And Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me!  Take heed to yourself, do not see my face any more; for in the day you see my face you shall die.”

It was Pharaoh’s own words that brought the last plague, the death of the firstborn, upon all the people of Egypt.  Likewise, it is by one’s own words that oftentimes he is brought to despair and discouragement.  Let each person be careful to speak those things that are uplifting and for the edification of all, including himself.  For, when one speaks things that are not edifying and uplifting to himself or to those around him, then he is setting the stage to receive condemnation upon himself, and that, heaps upon heaps.

Ephesians 5:18-19
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for this is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit;
19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to YHWH.

YHWH is looking for those whose hearts are fully towards Him in all things, including having a heart that is for His people as well; not according to man who judges according to his own ideals as to who is a part of His people, but rather who YHWH declares to be so because of their actions according to Torah.  We can be encouraged, for YHWH knows each one who is a part of His kingdom.  He knows those whom He has set apart to be gathered together in these latter days.  He knows those who have a heart to receive His correction and those who will not receive His correction.

It is in these days that He has begun the process of winnowing His people to see those who will remain true to Him and those who are only giving lip service to the idea of serving Him.  What we must also realize, is that as YHWH says in the verse from the companion haftarah portion for Bo (Yirmeyah 48:28), He will in no way leave unpunished those who have broken His Torah.  One needs to understand that, as he returns to His Torah, yes, He will bless him, and do so abundantly.  However, He will also punish one for his previous rebellion.  This punishment will most often take the form of consequences of his previous sinful life.  While the Blood of Mashiach Yeshua has the power to forgive one’s sins and to cleanse one of all unrighteousness, the one thing that it does not do is to remove the consequences of those wrong choices.  One may still have to deal with those things his choices set in motion in his life before he came to Mashiach Yeshua.  When one faces up to this with the infilling presence of His Spirit, then he can get through those consequences without fear and without dismay.  However, it will only be by the infilling presence of His Spirit that one can, and will be, able to accomplish this.

YHWH has commanded all to be filled with His Spirit.  The apostles taught this and Yeshua Himself also taught that one needs to be, and must be, filled with His Spirit.  Only in this way, can one not fear what is happening in this world and not be dismayed at the great turmoil happening all around him every day. 

Brethren, do not focus upon all the fear in our world today.  Do not buy into all the fear mongering that so many so-called watchmen, preachers, and prophets are trying to sell these days.  There is no reason to be full of fear and to be dismayed in one’s heart and mind.  YHWH has given to the true follower of Mashiach Yeshua, a Spirit of love, not a spirit of fear.

Romans 8:15 
For you received not the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Since one has humbled himself before YHWH and has asked Him to forgive him of his sins through Mashiach Yeshua, he has nothing to fear.

Yochanan Aleph (1st John) 4:18 
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment; and he that fears is not made perfect in love.

ABBA YHWH, we ask that You would bring this perfect love to completion in each one of us, that we may walk in the fullness of that love rather than walking in fear; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach.  Amein.

Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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