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Walking in Wisdom
Whose wisdom do you walk in?

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:16 
Do you not know that you are a temple of Elohim, and that the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you?

Mankind is created in the image of Elohim.

B’reshit [Genesis] 1:27 
And Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim created He him; male and female created He them.

Both male and female are created in the image of Elohim.  This truth makes it possible for YHWH to fill both men and women with His Spirit as each are made according to His likeness.  If mankind was not in His image and according to His likeness, then we would not be able to be filled with His Spirit.  Being filled with His Spirit is very much like YHWH coming and filling the mishkan when it was built in the wilderness.

Shemot [Exodus] 40:34 
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle.

YHWH filled the mishkan (tabernacle) when all the work on it was complete and it was ready to be used by Israel in worship of YHWH our Elohim. 

YHWH has come to His people in the wilderness, and He is working on each one so that he can be filled with His Spirit.  When a person is ready and he asks to be filled with His Spirit, He comes and does just that.  When one is filled with His Spirit, then and only then, he is truly ready to serve YHWH and to work at building His kingdom.

Temple Destroyed

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:17 
If any man destroys the temple of Elohim, the Elohim shall destroy him; for the temple of Elohim is holy, and such are you.

When one comes to YHWH through Yeshua, he no longer belongs to himself, but he belongs to YHWH as He has purchased each person with a great price:  His own Blood.

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 6:19-20 
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Set-apart Spirit which is in you, which you have from Elohim?  And you are not your own;
20 for you were bought with a price; glorify Elohim therefore in your body.

YHWH calls His people to be good and righteous stewards of all He has given to them.  This certainly includes one’s physical body.  However, many people actually worship their bodies and go to great lengths to attain a worldly standard of what their bodies should look like.  This extreme is sin.  While one is to take care of his body, he is to worship only YHWH (not his own body). 

In one’s service to YHWH, he is to make sure he is walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.  One’s body is flesh.  In order for the flesh to be in submission to the Spirit, there are times one needs to deny the flesh that which it desires.  And some of those things it desires are right, legal, legitimate, and Scriptural in nature.  Take, for example, food; one’s body needs food to exist.  To go without food too long will cause death.  This is not being a good steward.  However, there are times when on also needs to deny his flesh food in order to strengthen the Spirit in him and to put the flesh in subjection to His Spirit.  This is also being a good and righteous steward.

Honesty with Self

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:18 
Let no man deceive himself.  If any man thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

Being honest with oneself is one of the greatest challenges humans face, for the essence of sin is self-exaltation.  When one is exalting himself, he is not being honest with himself. 

Ivrim [Hebrews] 12:1 
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

This passage speaks of two things that are a hindrance to one’s spiritual well-being.  First, there are those things that are encumbrances.  This is a very long list, and this list would have variations from individual to individual.  Then the above passage speaks about the sin which so easily entangles.  So the question that comes to mind is:  what is this sin?  This sin, whatever it is, is in the singular form.  This would indicate that there is only one, and that it is common to all mankind.  There is only one thing that would fit that description – self!  No matter where I go, there I am.  And if I let self have its own way, then I am in sin.  That has always been true, and it will ever be true for all of mankind!

Scripture teaches that each person is a sinner and in need of His grace and mercy.  But, in order to receive His grace and mercy, one needs to be able to be honest with himself.  However, that honesty does not stop there.  Each person has a lot of growing and maturing to do in His Spirit.  And to progress in a healthy manner and become the people that He desires for each person to be, then one has to be able to be honest with who he is right now.  And frankly, when one looks in a mirror, most often he does not like what he sees, for the reality of what one is on the inside is not a very pretty picture.  This picture is quite often not what one shows to those around him, to those he loves.

According to the standards of the world, being honest is not the way to get ahead in this world.  In order to get ahead in this world, one needs to use all sorts of deception and trickery to climb the ladder of success.  Therefore, being honest with oneself and with others is truly foolishness to those in the world.  Those in the world simply do not understand.  They cannot figure out the ulterior motives present, because there are none.

Worldly Wisdom is Foolishness to Elohim

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:19 
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with the Elohim.  For it is written,
He that takes the wise in their craftiness.

Shaul is quoting from the book of Iyov (Job).

Iyov [Job] 5:13 
He takes the wise in their own craftiness;
And the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

This same concept is fairly common in the Psalms.  Here is one such passage.

Tehillim [Psalms] 9:16 
YHWH has made Himself known, He has executed judgment;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.  Higgayon (הִגָּיוֹן ). Selah.

YHWH simply takes what men consider wisdom and turns it back upon those who use the wisdom of this world to elevate themselves.  Those in this world have all these different schemes and plans and designs and such.  YHWH takes no counsel in the ways of man.  He has commanded His people to walk a different path.

Yirmeyah [Jeremiah] 7:23 
“but this thing I commanded them, saying, ‘Shema to My Voice, and I will be your Elohim, and you shall be My people; and you shall walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’”

One who belongs to YHWH is to hear and obey His Voice.  We are the servant; He is the Master!  One is not to try to figure things out and come to YHWH with some great scheme, plan, or otherwise.  He wants His people to lay all that aside in favor of doing His will, not one’s own will.  When one lays aside his own will to do YHWH’s will, he will be wise and counted by the world as a fool!

Vanity

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:20 
and again,
YHWH knows the reasoning of the wise that they are vain.

Why is all the reasoning of the men of this world vain?  Will any or even all of their reasoning gain them eternal life?  Then what good has all their reasoning accomplished?  Nothing!

Kohelet [Ecclesiastes] 12:13 
This is the conclusion of the matter when all has been heard; fear Elohim, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

Anything outside of keeping His commandments is complete and total vanity.  And from where does vanity come?  It comes from a person’s pride.  If a person has pride in his life, then there are things in his life which are vain.  Do you want to remove those things that are vain from your life?  Then remove the pride!

Glory of Men

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:21 
Wherefore let no one glory in men.  For all things are yours;

Why does a person do what he does?  Does he do it for the approval of men?  Or, does he do it to please his heavenly Father?  Does he relish the praise of men?  If he does, then he will find before long that he is doing things to please people in general, or in many cases, a particular person in his life.  This is certainly not pleasing to YHWH.  When one seeks the praise of men, he has crossed the line and is involved in idolatry. 

Yirmeyah [Jeremiah] 9:23 
23 Thus says YHWH, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches;
24 but let him that glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows Me, that I am YHWH who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight,” says YHWH.

YHWH wants His people to tell others about Him and what He has done.  It is in this way that His great name shall be spread throughout the whole earth.  If a person talks about his own accomplishments, how is that lifting up YHWH or His name?  It is not.

Proper Allegiance

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:22 
whether Shaul, or Apollo, or Kepha, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

I have an increasing number of people who read what I write.  Frankly, it really scares me!  I do not want to be guilty of leading anyone astray!  I want to lead others to Him and only Him.  Another thing that scares me is when people quote me.  I really have no desire for people to follow me!  I really rather prefer people to walk beside me as my brothers and sisters in Mashiach.  I am no better than anyone else, and I certainly do not see myself as being better than anyone else.

It is disturbing to me to see people line up behind various teachers, rabbis, pastors, etc.  We must stop doing that and all line up behind Yeshua.  Is He not the Master of us all?  Who cares what I say, really?  Is not the purpose of what I write to point to YHWH/Yeshua?  To be sure!  Shaul was equally disturbed in his day about people, being what they are, dividing the body of Mashiach.

Who we need proper allegiance to is YHWH.  I think we can all agree on that.  Let us be extra careful that we do not elevate our teachers, rabbis, and leaders so high that it causes them to fall.  Let us examine these things with a sober mind and not pit one part of the body of Mashiach against another part of His body and thus cause division in Him.

Ownership

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 3:23 
and you belong to the Mashiach; and the Mashiach belongs to the Elohim.

As was pointed out above, Yeshua Mashiach purchased His people for a price.  The price of redemption was the spilling of His Blood.  When one accepts that redemption, he no longer belongs to himself, but rather, he belongs to Mashiach Yeshua, who, in turn, belongs to Elohim.  When one understands the proper order of His kingdom and his place in that order, there will be peace and harmony among His people and in him personally.

Qorintyah Aleph [1st Corinthians] 4:7 
For who regards you as superior?  And what do you have that you did not receive?  Moreover since you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Is it not YHWH who has given each person the talents and abilities he has?  Is it not YHWH who has given one a good mind to be able to learn and teach and do?  Even the next breath one takes and the next beat of one’s heart is a gift from YHWH that one has no guarantee of, nor does he have the ability to take or get by his own power or strength.

When was the last time you said you were proud of your job?  Or, when was the last time you said you were proud of your education?  Or, when was the last time you said you were proud of your house?  Or, when was the last time you said you were proud of your children?  Do you not realize that these things are a blessing from the Almighty?  And, do you realize that when you boast about something, you are robbing YHWH?

When one gets into an uncomfortable place in life, does he try to ease the discomfort in any way possible?  Does he look for the shortest route back to his life of ease?  What of YHWH's will?  Perhaps YHWH has placed such a person in that position because He has not been able to get his attention beforehand.

YHWH wants each person to learn of Him and His ways, the way of faith and trust and complete dependence upon Him.  He does not want a person to try to do things in his own power or strength.  YHWH has a purpose in having one in that tough place.   Don't squirm out of the difficulty, because if you do, you will not be able to learn that which YHWH is trying to teach you; and as a result of that, you will have to go through similar circumstances again and again and again, until you finally submit to His Kingship in all areas of your life, and ask Him what it is He is trying to teach you.

As the Creator, He is the owner of all things.  Each person is a part of that creation.  YHWH has the right, power and authority to do with each person as He will.  YHWH has given each person the privilege to come to Him and ask favor, mercy, and compassion from Him.  Furthermore, if a person asks for that compassion in accordance with how He has outlined that one should do it, then He has promised to hear and respond to him favorably.  That is a blessing which is immeasurable.

ABBA YHWH, thank you for being our Creator, Sustainer, and most of all, Redeemer; redeem us and then fill us with Your Spirit that we might truly be Your people always; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach.  Amein.

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

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