Psalm 003 with footnotes

Psalm 3 with footnotes

1. A serenade¹ to² Beloved³ in his fleeing from the faces of Father-Of-Peace⁴ his son.

2. Yehovah! ⁵ How many are my tribulators! 6 Many are arising⁷ upon⁸ me!

3. Many are saying to my being,⁹ “Her¹⁰ Salvation¹¹ is not for him¹⁰ via Gods!” ¹² Cast-up! ¹³

4. “And Thou, Yehovah, art a shield¹⁴ for my sake–my importance¹⁵ and the elevator of my head! ¹⁶

5. My voice is unto Yehovah! I will call. And He answered¹⁷ me from the mountain of His holy-[One]!” ¹⁸ Cast-up! ¹³

6. I–I¹⁹ laid down. And I slept. I awoke because Yehovah sustained me.²⁰

7. I will not fear from myriads²¹ of a people who have set themselves around upon²² me.

8. Arise,²³ Yehovah! Save me, my Gods! For Thou struck all my enemies, jaw! ²⁴ Thou broke teeth²⁵ of culpable-[ones]! ²⁶

9. To Yehovah is the Salvation! Thy blessing²⁷ is upon Thy people!” ²⁸ Cast-up! ¹³

NOTE: Some footnote topics cover numerous texts. They have been recorded, and will be copied into documents discussing those topics. If you see footnote repetition from one text to another, this will explain why.

¹ A Serenade is a story in song that tells of a person’s acts. While serenades can be mythical, Biblical serenades are never mythical, giving infallible information in their stories. Biblical serenades are nearly always future events, recorded as if they have already occurred.

² To indicates possession. This serenade was prophetically given to David to give to Israel and to all readers.

³ David literally means beloved, but comes from a root supposedly meaning to boil. It is more like a lover, showing intense passion (not necessarily bad if the relationship is appropriate).

⁴ Literally rendering names is very important. Biblical ‘mysteries’ (things that are solvable in the Bible, but are usually unknown because most readers haven’t considered) can be solved using name meanings.

⁵ Yehovah is a contraction (abbreviation) of the three tenses of the Hebrew verb, to be:

He will be, He is, He was

Yēhēyĕh+Hōvĕh+Häyäh

Take just the bold letters (if your program allows you to see bold), and you will have

Yĕhōväh

which is the correct pronunciation of His Name, and which means He will be, is, was. This also defines part of His Character (changelessness) and existence status (He always was, is and always will be).

⁶ A tribulator is one who puts others into a squeeze (like in the expression, ‘putting the squeeze on’ someone). One who is suffering tribulation is under continuous pressure to live and do what is not pleasant (like run, hide, withstand terrible treatment or die, etc.). While persecution can be intermittent, tribulation continues day and night until it ends.

⁷ Arising or standing takes on a particular flavour in the Bible. The word is a childism, an expression that a child can best understand. When two are on the floor and playing together, they are equal in some ways. When one of the two (like an adult) stands up, the differences become apparent. Whoever stands up against another is attempting to (or succeeding in) being victorious over the other(s).

⁸ The English language would normally use against instead of upon, but this lessens the intensity. The idea of upon shows direct physical attack.

⁹ The being comprises the body, soul and spirit. It refers to all three in some texts, to two of the three in other texts, and mainly to only one of the three in a few texts. Most translators thought it primarily referred to the soul, but another Hebrew word covers just the true soul alone. This word being is like that used in English in the expression, “She is a human being.” It is not akin to being in the expression, “He challenged my existence and argued against my being.” The being comprises a person (and locations that the Bible shows are alive, as well as animals).

The being in this case is treated almost as a separate entity from the speaker! This is intentional (on Yehovah’s part).

¹⁰ Can you identify the objects of these pronouns? I will give one clue: being is feminine.

¹¹ Salvation is usually feminine in the Bible. It is spelled the same as Yeshua’s Name except for the letter hey on the end that makes it feminine.

¹² Elohim means gods. When Elohim refers to Yehovah, it is describing Him as being all the true Gods there are. He is God of the mountains, God of the heavens, God of the seas, God of fruitfulness, God of justice, etc. The word is still plural, but normally demands a singular verb. When Elohim refers to false gods, it can also take a singular verb (when those referring to elohim are speaking of their gods), but often takes plural verb forms.

I have used Gods instead of gods in this texts because the bad guys seem to be referring to the living Gods Who will be bringing tribulation against the Jews first. If you do not agree, just change the capital G to a small letter.

¹³ Selah literally means cast-up, referring to mounting road base up for highway building. Highways are built higher than the surrounding lands so that they will not easily be washed out during heavy rains. Readers have usually not considered the importance of highways in the End Times (a great mistake!). Yehovah will conduct many back to Mount Zion, routing them over highways He has prepared. Selah texts (highway texts) give vital information to returners so that they can survive on the way.

¹⁴ This word has been made famous in ‘Mogan David’, mogan meaning shield. I do not doubt the literalness of texts. Yehovah will be a shield (like the ‘force field’ made famous in ‘Lost in Space’). This is demonstrated in Psalm 23 when Yehovah prepares a table for the sheep in the presence of his enemies. They can see the sheep and the table, but cannot touch either.

¹⁵ Glory means weight or importance. Its use is exactly like the English idiom, “Man, that’s heavy!” used by Hippies, and showing that something was important.

¹⁶ Elevating the head is a ‘childism’. When children become upset or sad, they lower their heads. When they are happy, they tend to look up (because adults are taller than they are). Texts use ‘childisms’ all the time.

¹⁷ Answered is past-tense because it shows result. In the Hebrew language, when a past-tense action follows a future-tense act, it is because it will certainly follow once the future act is done. For example, one might say in English, “I will go to the store, and I will pick up some bread.” Biblical Hebrew would word it, “I will go to the store, and I have picked up some bread.” This construction shows certainty that the past-tense action will follow the future-tense action.

¹⁸ (Technical Explanation) Translators ignored the Hebrew construction of a noun followed by an adjective with a connected pronominal ending, choosing to render it as if it were a noun with a pronominal ending followed by an adjective. This ignores Biblical Hebrew grammar rules. The adjective that has a pronominal ending becomes a nominal adjective (an adjective that behaves as a noun). An English example of this is the adjective green. “The grass was green.” Yet it can become as a noun: “They golfed on the green.” I maintain that the two following examples greatly differ:

His Holy mountain

Mountain of His Holy-[one]

The first describes who owns the holy mountain. The second shows that the holy one that he owns in turn owns the mountain.

I do not know why translators have traditionally ignored the Hebrew grammar. I refuse to ignore what I see in the Hebrew. I believe that the Word of God (in the original manuscripts) is infallible. Why should I ignore anything?

¹⁹ Translators almost always ignored doubled pronouns. I do not ignore these; they add thrust to texts.

²⁰ These footnotes are not designed to explain texts or to ask questions and propose answers. I will ask you this, however: what is the big deal about the speaker laying down, sleeping and awakening?

²¹ Myriads is constructed of the Hebrew word multiplied, but doubled (thus, double multiplied).

²² If you desire to know the identity of the speaker, try taking upon literally.

²³ (Technical Explanation) Imperative forms often have what Gesenius (a lexicographer) called a hey paragogic, the letter hey that was added for beauty or sound, but had no meaning. I do not agree with this ‘frill’ explanation. I maintain that Yehovah put letters where He desired, but always for purpose. The letter hey on the end is normally an indication of the feminine gender or a feminine pronoun. The form Koomah used in this verse looks like the feminine imperative, as if Yehovah were feminine in gender. The next verb uses the masculine imperative, however: “Save {masc.} me, Elohim!” While Yehovah is ultimately neither feminine nor masculine, He made man in His image, and He made man masculine and feminine in gender. Aspects of Yehovah are in the feminine gender. Wisdom, Who is the Messiah, is feminine throughout the Bible (she is especially featured in Proverbs). I propose that the feminine imperative is being used in this verse to focus on some character of Yehovah Who will arise at this time. The Spirit of Yehovah is sometimes feminine in gender.

²⁴ One would say “on the jaw” in English. The Hebrew just directs the reader to the target.

²⁵ “Thou broke teeth” would indicate some teeth in English, but the Hebrew does not necessarily indicate only some in this construction.

²⁶ Culpable indicates guilt/responsibility for an act (usually bad) at any level of guilt. A person who spills sugar is culpable of spilling sugar; a person who murders thousands is culpable of murdering thousands. Culpability does not indicate intensity. Folks who actually murder others are culpable; folks who could have rescued some who were murdered, but didn’t, are also culpable.

²⁷ Blessing has knee built into it. Some Biblical, Godly fathers had their sons kneel before them. They laid hands on their sons’ heads. They prophesied over them. These prophecies (most good, some bad) were called kneelings (blessings). They are also invokings, since they prophetically invoke (call in) Yehovah to act.

²⁸ What are the implications of Yehovah’s blessing being upon His people?

February 9, 2009July 5, 2017

Fallen Faces

With a few exceptions, children show their feelings through their faces. When they are happy, their faces radiate, and they often look upwards toward others. When they are sad, afraid, upset, disappointed or humiliated, they tend to look downward.

Biblical Hebrew uses some form of the word face nearly two thousand times, and it is always plural. No one has only one face. The root of face is to turn, and everyone’s face has turns and can turn.

If one’s faces (plural) are lifted, the person has become happy. If one’s faces have fallen, the person is unhappy. The following King James Version rendering is followed by a literal rendering:

Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

Genesis 4:5 [literally] And unto Cain and unto his guiding [gift] He did not regard. And he heated to Cain very much. And his faces fell. And Yehovah said unto Cain, “Why did he heat to thee? And why did thy faces fall?”

A much more common usage of fallen faces will be shown in the following texts:

Leviticus 26:7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you [“fall to your faces”] by the sword. 8And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you [“fall to your faces”] by the sword.

Young children understand falling to their faces, whether because they tripped, were overcome (as when wrestling), or when making an urgent request, as in the following text:

1 Samuel 25:23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her faces, and bowed herself to the ground, 24and fell at his feet. And she said, “Upon me, my lord, upon me shall this iniquity be! And thine handmaid, I pray thee, shall speak in thine audience. And hear the words of thine handmaid.”

A child also understands a great defeat by falling on one’s faces:

1 Samuel 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag. And he took thence a stone. And he slang it and smote the Palestinian in his forehead so that the stone sunk into his forehead. And he fell upon his faces to the land.

Few in western cultures understand about the faces, though some expressions show some insight: “He fell on his face!”

Yehovah will lift the faces of all whose faces have fallen, yet who have truly put their hope in Him!

February 9, 2009August 9, 2016

Law Terms in Brief

Torah	Teaching of Yehovah often demonstrated in types. This is mistranslated as ‘Law’, having little to do with jurisprudence (though it contains some), but everything to do with Yehovah’s plans for the future and a proper description of Messiah and of Saints.
Statute	Rule, as engraved in stone: what is or is not to be done in a particular circumstance
Commandment	An ‘order’ as by a commanding officer telling individuals or groups what to do or not to do. This may include individual ‘orders’ or orders for the entire group. (A statute is a commandment; a commandment is not necessarily a statute.)
Precept	A visitation (of Yehovah) for or against those being visited. This especially has to do with His personally coming to or among the Israelis to take action for them or against them.
Judgment	A ruling, a decision based on all the facts. This is the same as justice.
Ordinance	This can be the same word as statute, guarding, hand or justice. (One must look it up in each case.)
Testimony	A statement that a witness affirms (almost vows) he has seen, heard, tasted, etc. In Yehovah’s case, He sees the future, and can witness every detail of it in His testimony.

February 9, 2009March 29, 2018

Falling – ‘Childisms’ in the Bible

Fall

I considered fallen faces in a previous article. Continue reading “Falling – ‘Childisms’ in the Bible”

February 9, 2009August 22, 2016

Was Paul Struggling with Sin?

Introduction

The second half of Romans 7 has become the focal text determining whether the Saint can successfully refrain from sinning. Some believe the doctrine of Sinless Perfection, which states that one can become ‘entirely sanctified’ so that he looses the ability to sin. Others claim that the most successful among the Saints are bound to sin at least once in a while, if not on a daily basis. This second view is encapsulated in “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” This document will examine Romans 6 through 8 as a unit to see what is right.

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ²Absolutely not. How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer in it? ³Know ye not that as many of us as were baptized into Yeshua Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also of the resurrection, ⁶knowing this–that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸Now if we are dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death has no more dominion over him. ¹⁰For in that He died, He died unto sin once. And in that He lives, He lives unto God. ¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Yeshua Christ our Lord. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in its lusts. ¹³Neither yield ye your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. But yield yourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you. For ye are not under the law, but under grace. ¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? Absolutely not! ¹⁶Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness? ¹⁷But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered you. ¹⁸Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. ¹⁹I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. ²⁰For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. ²¹What fruit had ye then in those things of which ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²²But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end–everlasting life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Yeshua Christ our Lord. 7:1Know ye not brethren (for I speak to them that know the law) that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? ²For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to the husband so long as he lives. But if the husband is dead, she is loosed from the law of the husband. ³So then if she be married to another man while the husband lives, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband is dead, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress though she is married to another man. ⁴Therefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ so that ye should be married to another—to Him who is raised from the dead—that we should bring forth fruit unto God. ⁵For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins that were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶But we are now delivered from the law, that being dead in which we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit and not the oldness of the letter. ⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! No, I had not known sin but by the law. For I had not known lust except the law had said, “Thou shalt not covet.” ⁸But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin is dead. ⁹For I was alive without the law once. But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰And I found the commandment that is to life unto death! ¹¹For sin deceived me, taking occasion by the commandment, and by it slew [me]. ¹²Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. ¹³Was, then, that which is good made death unto me? Absolutely not. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. ¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual. And I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵For I don’t allow what I do. For what I would, that don’t do. But what I hate, I do that! ¹⁶If then I do what I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷Now, then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwells no good thing. For to will is present with me, but to perform that which is good–I don’t find. ¹⁹For I don’t do the good that I would. But the evil that I would not–I do that! ²⁰Now if I do what I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. ²¹I find, then, a law—that when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²²For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. ²³But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members. ²⁴O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ²⁵I thank God—through Yeshua Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with the mind, but the law of sin with the flesh. 8:1Therefore, now, no condemnation is to them who are in Christ Yeshua. ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Yeshua has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh ⁴that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk–not after the flesh–but after the Spirit. ⁵For they who are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, and they who are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷For the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸So then, they who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit—if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. ¹⁰And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, and the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹And if the Spirit of Him Who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you. ¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors–not to the flesh to live after the flesh. ¹³For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye mortify the deeds of the body through the Spirit, ye shall live. ¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God—they are the sons of God. ¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of ‘sonshipment’ by which we cry “Abba!” “Father!” ¹⁶The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with [Him], that we may be also glorified together. ¹⁸For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory that shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God! ²⁰For the creation was made subject to vanity—not willingly, but by reason of Him who has subjected in hope. ²¹For the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. ²³And not only [they] but ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit–even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the ‘sonshipment’—the redemption of our Body! ²⁴For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees–why does he yet hope for? ²⁵But if we hope for what we don’t see, we wait for [it] with patience. ²⁶Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we don’t know for what we should pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. ²⁷And He Who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to God. ²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God—to them who are the called according to purpose. ²⁹For whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰And whom He did predestinate, He also called them. And whom He called, He also justified them. And whom He justified, He also glorified them. ³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³²He Who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all—how shall He not also freely give us all things with Him? ³³Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? God is Who justifies. ³⁴Who is he who condemns? Christ is Who died—yea rather Who is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also makes intercession for us! ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or famine? or nakedness? or peril? or sword? ³⁶as it is written, “We are killed all the day long for Thy sake. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. ³⁸For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come ³⁹nor height nor depth nor any other creation shall be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Yeshua our Lord!

Romans 6

Verses 1 and 2 teach that those identified as we are not to continue in sin, because they are dead to sin. It would be strange for a dead person to continue doing something that he did when he was alive.

Who are the we? Are they Saints or non-saints? Verse 3 identifies them as those who are “baptized in Messiah Yeshua,” and thus, baptized into His death. Are they Saints? Paul was not referring to counterfeits. They are Saints. (A Saint is anyone who is born of God, having Salvation.)

What does “not continue in sin” mean? To not continue means to stop. Texts must be taken literally.

Verse 4 continues, baptism is a burial into death. Since Messiah was literally raised up from the dead (by the glory of the Father), so we are also to walk in newness of life. If anyone continues to ‘occasionally sin’ (which is what he did before salvation), how does this demonstrate genuine newness of life? This makes no sense. The issue of this text is sin, not salvation. If salvation is still in question, other texts cover salvation much better.

Verses 5-7 speak of death and resurrection. The “old man is crucified” (not “being crucified”), that the Body of sin might be destroyed (the result of the old man being crucified). The accent is on this statement: “Henceforth (from now on) we are not to serve sin!” If anyone still serves sin, what good did the act of being baptized into Messiah’s death accomplish for him?

Anyone who is dead is freed from sin. This Old Man of sin is a group, not an individual. It is a Body. The New Man is also a Body. One must leave the Old Man of sin and be placed in the New Man.

Verses 8-11: A resurrection depends upon first being dead with Messiah. There is no basis for a hope in the resurrection if one is not dead in Messiah. No one can be partially dead. Anyone who claims to be still connected to an “old man” does not yet have the assurance of the resurrection.

Verse 9 demonstrates the finality of the death of Messiah and the finality of His resurrection. These statements are all absolute, not progressive in nature.

Verse 10 states that Messiah lives unto God. He no longer needs to repeat the dying process, and neither does anyone who has been born of God. The process is completed never to be done again.

The ‘likewise’ of verse 11 cannot be overstated. The Saint is to reckon himself to be dead indeed unto sin. To reckon is to consider something factual. The Believer is not to live in a dream world. Anyone who reckons himself to be something that he is not is living a lie, not the truth. Messiah is only interested in Truth, not in visualization or self-deception. He desires an honest self-appraisal.

Verses 12-14 give the result of this reckoning. If someone is reigning or ruling, he has the power. If sin is reigning, sin has the power. No Saint is to give sin any power. He is not to obey sin in any of sin’s lusts. Anyone who still sins is doing the opposite of the commands of these verses.

Members of the Body are the bodily parts. Yielding bodily parts to be instruments of unrighteousness is giving in to sin. Sinning daily (or even once a week) is voluntarily yielding bodily parts as instruments of unrighteousness. Some so-called “Christians” are stupid (brutish, K.J.V.) and are not able to understand these texts. Unbelievers know the right standard for Christians. They become outraged (or entertained) if a Christian sins.

Anyone born of God and truly alive from the dead is to yield to God. If he does not, this whole chapter does not apply to him. Yielding to righteousness and to God is to not sin. It is not a struggle; it is a yielding. Anyone who is struggling to not sin shows that he hasn’t been born of God. He is still a slave trying to break free. The word yield means to not contend, to not give resistance; to let another do what he is going to do without hindrance.

Verse 14 states that sin shall not have dominion over anyone who is yielded unto God. A dead person is not under the penalties of the Law, as Paul states:

Colossians 2:14 And you—being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh—He has made-alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, that was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. ¹⁵Having spoiled principalities and powers, He openly made a show of them, triumphing over them in it.

Messiah, in His death, blotted out the handwriting of the ordinances (not the Law) that specified the crimes of which each one was guilty.

A dead person is not under the Law. The Law only has contention with those who are alive and are violating it. A corpse does not—indeed cannot—violate the Law! One who is dead (to sin) and alive (to God) is under the Grace of Yehovah, having taking advantage of that Grace! The Saint lives a lifestyle above the requirements and expectations of the Law, not under it, by this Grace. The Law (Torah) was given to unbelieving Israelis, not to Saints.

Verse 15 asks the question, “Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? Absolutely not!” Paul deals with sinning in this blatant and absolute manner.

Sin is unto death (verse 16). Obedience alone is unto righteousness. A man will be the servant of the one to whom he yields.

The historical fact (verse 17) is declared: “Ye were the servants to sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

Yielding a group’s “members servants to righteousness unto holiness” (verse 19) is a choice. Paul would be foolish to tell the Romans to do something they could not do were this not the case.

(Verses 20-22) The tense of the statement “… for when ye were …” demonstrates that this is no longer the case. They are no longer “the servants of sin.” But now being made free from sin, and having become servants to God, they can bear fruit. No one in the state of death can bear fruit.

Verse 22 states that those identified as ye are freed from sin, they now have their fruit unto holiness, and the end, everlasting life. Verse 23 states that the wages of sin is death to them, and the gift of God is everlasting life. The wages of sin for the non-saint will not be death, since the non-saint is already dead. The wages of sin for the non-saint will be greater damnation.

Romans 7

According to verses 1-3, the extent of the Law only reaches to those who are physically alive. Verse 4 explains that the death of the man means that the man is no longer under the jurisdiction of the Law, not that the Law is abolished.

The purpose of this new life is to bring forth fruit. Sin kills, it doesn’t cause fruit production. Dead things don’t grow. They rot.

Verse 5: “When we were in the flesh” indicates that those identified as we are no longer in the flesh. We brought forth fruit unto death when we were in the flesh.

Verse 6: That in which we were held is dead. This group identified as we have been delivered out of the ‘hands’ of the Law. We are now to serve in newness of spirit, and not the oldness of the letter.

Verse 7: One purpose of the Law is to know what is and isn’t sin. The Law is good. Since the purpose of the Law is to know sin, if the Law had not been there, “I” (Paul—or whom he typifies) would not have known sin. (Verse 8:) But sin worked in ‘me’ every manner of concupiscence. Paul (or whom Paul typifies) recognized sin to be exactly what it was because the Law informed him!

Do not overlook the tenses of the statements. The Spirit of Yehovah is prophetically speaking through Paul in the past tense: “I had not known …” “… for when we were …” His reference is to the old life in contrast to newness of life in Messiah.

Verse 9: There was a time when the Law had nothing to do with Paul (and to the one Paul typifies). He was a child under the tutelage of parents. When he later learned the commandment, however, sin came alive for him. He found that the wages of sin were death. Paul died. He died as certainly as Adam and Eve died according to the promise, “In the day that you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, dying, you will die!”

Verse 10: The commandment’s purpose was to life! (ohÐœ8j0k) It preserved the follower from being put to death until he (he or she) could come to faith if the follower refrained from death-penalty offenses. He would then no longer need the commandment in order to do righteousness; he simply would do righteousness (as he yielded to God). The commandment declared that the result would be death for anyone breaking the commandment, however.

Sin deceives, and sin slays. The commandment specified what sin is, and thus what is worthy of death. The Law declares sin and its consequences. It is of Yehovah, and it is holy. The commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Verse 13 asks, since the commandment is good, and since, by the power of the commandment, sin slays, is the commandment made to be death? No. Sin works death by means of the commandment. (There would be no death if there were no commandment declaring something to be sin and a cause of death.) The commandment demonstrates that sin is exceedingly strong!

Verse 14: I ask you, Was Paul carnal, sold under sin at the time of this writing? The Greek is even stronger. It states that he sold himself to sin. This verse declares this in the present tense. Is this the condition of an inspired and infallible writer of a book of the Bible?

In one Jewish form of argument, it is usual to go from the past tense to the present. Look at the tenses of the verbs in the following quote: “I came and found the car gone. So I ran into the house. And what is the first thing I find? I find that the safe is missing too!” The tense changed, but it is still describing an event in the past. The Spirit of God through Paul either employed this technique, or Paul was in no condition to tell others that they need to be freed from sin.

Paul states in 6:20 and 6:22 that the Saints have been made free from sin and servanthood to sin, and have become servants to God. Did Paul change his mind?

To be “sold under sin” is to sell one’s self to be the servant to sin. Did Paul do that as a Saint? Would his writings be infallible if he were still a (voluntary) slave to sin?

Being carnal is walking after the flesh. Why does Paul refer to those who “do not walk after the flesh” (8:4) as if it is the norm for Saints?

If Paul was still carnal and sold under sin at the time of this writing, he certainly stated that we are not to be carnal or sold under sin! Was he confused about his own status? Nonsense. Paul is either discussing his past as if it is the present, prophesying for another whom he typifies, or he is quite the hypocrite, telling others to do what he never could accomplish until he was dead! Paul was not carnal or sold under sin at this time.

Verses 15 and 16 show the dilemma of the non-spiritual person who desires to do right on his own: he does the opposite of what he knows is right. It is a very part of his carnal nature!

Verse 17 demonstrates the result of “indwelling sin:” the tendency to sin! It is ‘only natural’! There is no ability to do good! (verse 18-20). Evil (only) is present with the sinner, with the carnal person, with the non-Saint. Paul found himself captive to the law of sin that was an integral part of him (when he was carnal, and when he was non-spiritual, verse 23). [In 8:2, he declares that he is free from the law of sin.]

How can anyone get free from carnality, from slavery to sin and from death? Only through Messiah Yeshua our Lord (verse 25). Until that happened, Paul could only serve the law of sin with his flesh. He was a slave. These texts demonstrate the futility of achieving salvation by works. Paul was righteous, a hot zealot, but he was not born of God. He was a slave to sin.

Romans 8

(Verse 1) Those who are in Messiah Yeshua have no condemnation, since the Law of the Spirit of life via Messiah Yeshua has made them free from the law of sin and death. One who is freed from the law of sin will no longer serve sin (Romans 6:12).

Was the problem the Law? The Law (verse 3) was weak by its weakest link: the flesh. The flesh could not uphold the righteousness of the Law. Only the Spirit of life could provide the support for the righteous life. Messiah came in the likeness of sinful flesh in order to condemn sin in the flesh. My Grandfather explained it this way: A perfectly sound nail will hold nothing if it is hammered into rotten wood. The Law is the nail, and the flesh is the rotten wood. The nail is weak because of its placement, not its design.

“The righteousness of the law will be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” There are only two types of individuals: those who “mind the things of the flesh” and those who “mind the things of the Spirit.” The result of being carnally minded is death. The result of being Spiritually minded is both life and peace.

The carnal mind is an enemy against God. It cannot be subject to the Law of God.

Verse 8 teaches that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. The contrast is being in the Spirit. The “Spirit of God dwells in you.” No person without the Spirit of Messiah is holy to Messiah—Messiah’s property.

If Messiah is in anyone, the Body is dead (not dying) because of sin, and the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Verse 11 returns back to the original topic of Romans 6:5. If the Spirit of God dwells in anyone, he will be resurrected by God’s Spirit Who dwells in him. Only those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (verse 14). Those who live after the flesh shall die (verse 13).

Sinless Perfection

Anyone who subscribes to the concepts of “sinless perfection” (the idea that the saint can and should reach a point where he cannot sin any longer while in the mortal body) is damnably deceived. The Scriptures warn the Saints of the dangers in this world:

1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Sinless perfection is a doctrine for fools. Refusing to sin is the obligation and occupation of Saints.

Conclusion

Either Paul was a Spiritual schizophrenic or he was describing himself (in the second half of chapter 7) as he was before he turned to Messiah. Anyone who teaches that Paul had a struggle with sin and sinning throughout his Christian life is teaching the opposite of his own declaration of the liberty that every Saint enjoys—liberty from the slavery to sin and sinning.

Paul’s commands to the Romans are absolute: Do not yield the members of your body to sin and sinning under any circumstance. Yield to God and to righteousness.

Anyone who struggles to do right has not yet come to the point of mortifying the deeds of the body (8:13). He is still a slave in need of Salvation from sin.

The Saint has no excuse to continue sinning.

February 9, 2009July 5, 2017

The Faces

The Hebrew word faces is always plural. The singular would describe turning, as in a corner. A living creature never has only one face—one turn. The faces consist of many turns, and the faces can turn to show many reactions. One face can express anger, while another expresses joy.

Face appears early in the Bible:

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the faces of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the faces of the waters.

Children naturally associate with faces more than do adults. This is one reason why they are attracted to stuffed animals. They have friendly, soft faces. A dark room may frighten a child, because the faces of the room are unknown. Moving waters, as the ocean waters, have faces that are constantly changing. The soil also has faces:

Genesis 2:6 There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

Humility or sudden fear is shown by the ‘childism’ falling on one’s faces:

Genesis 17:3 And Abram fell on his face.

Just as a child whose faces show the direction the child intends to go, the Bible describes the same thing regarding adults:

Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom.

If a child is afraid of someone, he will run from that person’s faces:

Genesis 35:1 And God said unto Jacob, “Arise! Go up to Bethel and dwell there. And make there an altar unto God Who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the faces of Esau thy brother.”

A child who shows great affection for an adult will go for his faces. This is also true of Biblical adults:

Genesis 50:1 And Joseph fell upon his father’s face. And he wept upon him and kissed him.

Even if a child cannot run from someone he fears, he will hide his faces:

Exodus 3:6 Moreover he said, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

Children do not tend to fear what they cannot see (or imagine). Thus, Yehovah determined to place His fear before the faces of the Israelis:

Exodus 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, “Fear not! For God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

When a child becomes angry with someone, she sets her faces against him, just as the Bible portrays:

Leviticus 17:10 “And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among you who eateth any manner of blood, I will even set my faces against that soul that eateth blood and will cut him off from among his people!”

Some form of the word faces is used at least 2,100 times in the ‘Old Testament,’ since it is found in the word translated before (meaning in front of, orliterally, to the faces of). Children learn early about faces, and they show their inner thoughts on their faces.

Many cultures have portrayed what they believe to be the face of Jesus through their icon art. These almost never show Jesus as Jewish, but reflect the cultural view of how Jesus ‘should’ look. The faces of Gentile Jesuses are neither Biblical nor Scriptural. Yeshua’s faces drew children:

Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to Him so that He would touch them. And the disciples rebuked those that brought. 14But when Jesus saw, He was much displeased. And He said unto them, “Dispatch the little children to come to me, and forbid them not. For of such is the kingdom of God. 15Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter into her!” 16And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them and blessed them.

Yeshua chose to be born with a Jewish face. Attacks against the Jews sometimes feature a stereotypical, twisted Jewish face with a broken nose and dark eyebrows. While Jewish features are not standard, and reflect the many cultures of the world, hating or ignoring the faces of Jews is the same as hating the faces of God. Many churches claiming to be based on Christianity like faces in their memberships to reflect themselves, not folks who look different, especially who look Jewish. Yet the angels of Jewish children always behold the faces of Yehovah the Father:

Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. For I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father Who is in heaven.”

Do you portray the faces of Yeshua to others, especially to Israel? Jewish individuals who care find it strange when a non-Jewish person ‘looks’ so much like the Biblical God and Biblical Saints. Consider the surprise of the Jericho spies when Rahab said,

Joshua 2:9 And she said unto the men, “I knew that Yehovah gave to you the land, and that your terror fell upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melted from your faces. 10For we heard how Yehovah dried up the waters of the Red sea from your faces in your exiting from Egypt, and what ye did to two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side Jordan—to Sihon and to Og whom ye utterly destroyed. 11And we heard. And our hearts melted. And spirit did not arise again in a man from your faces. For Yehovah your God—He is God in the heavens from above and upon the land from under. 12And now vow, pray, to me by Yehovah. For I did Grace with you. And ye shall do Grace, even ye, with the house of my father. And ye shall give to me a sign of Truth. 13And ye will make-live my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all that is to them. And ye shall rescue our beings from death.”

Rahab, a Gentile and a Canaanite, certainly showed a Jewish face!

Psalm 3 with footnotes

Fallen Faces

Law Terms in Brief

Torah

Statute

Commandment

Precept

Judgment

Ordinance

Testimony