One Torah For All

One Torah shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Exodus 12:49

Easy Listening
It’s music to my ears

Matithyah (Matthew) 11:7
And as these went their way, Yeshua began to say unto the multitudes concerning Yochanan, “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?”

Ask yourself a question, “Why do you choose to listen to a particular teacher?”

Is it because of smooth words? Does that man or woman teach in such a way that makes you feel good? If these are the types of reasons you choose to listen to your favorite teacher, then you may be guilty of choosing to have your ears tickled. If the teacher you like never or rarely ever steps on your spiritual toes, then he is making you feel good, but he is not feeding you spiritually.

2nd Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.

Each one of us is imperfect in many ways. We make mistakes, miscalculations, misjudgments, and various other things in which we simply could have done better for a vast number of reasons. Many times we simply sin. It does not make us feel good when this is pointed out to us in some fashion. What makes us feel good is when a teacher glosses over our wrongness with understanding and smooth words. When we find these, then we like to keep coming back because it strokes our ego, our pride.

A person heaps destruction upon himself if he is doing this, whether he is doing it consciously or unconsciously. The only path to life includes repentance. One needs to be sorry for his wrongdoing and express this regret to those he has wronged; first, to our heavenly Father, for it is His instructions we have broken, then secondly, to our fellow man whom we have hurt in some manner through our selfish actions.

Ephesians 4:14
that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

However, it takes a growing level of maturity to own up to one’s wrongness, to one’s sin. That maturity will help to keep one on the strait and narrow path. It will help to keep pride at bay in order that one is not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that comes along. These winds of doctrine are basically doctrines built upon ideas that will enable a man to keep his pet sin and live his life in the flesh. This is the path to destruction.

2nd Timothy 3:13
But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

However, if a person desires to walk down such a path, then YHWH shall allow teachers of false doctrines to arise in order to feed those who make such choices fleshly food for their soul. Not only are the teachers deceiving others, but they themselves are deceived.

Kepha Bet (2nd Peter) 2:1-2
1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privately bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.

These teachers make a strong appeal to the fleshly mind of man. They often do this by glorifying man, which may include themselves. What is the focus of such teachings? Is the focus upon themselves or upon man, or, is it to get us to look upon Mashiach Yeshua?

Such teachers understand what it is that will make people want to give them their hard-earned money. The more money people give them, the more they shall appeal to their flesh. These doctrines of flesh (demons) deny the work of Mashiach and bring shame upon themselves through their practice of self-exaltation.

Matithyah (Matthew) 10:33
“But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

The words which one speaks are not the only way in which a person may deny Mashiach Yeshua. One may also deny Him with his life and the lack of power to overcome sin in his life. This power to overcome can be manifested by either removing the desire to sin, or by giving a man the power to resist the temptation. But in some manner, the power of Mashiach will help him to overcome the sin in his life. But the man must be willing and put forth effort as well.

Tehillim (Psalm) 55:20-23
20     He has put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him:
         He has profaned his covenant.
21     His mouth was smooth as butter,
         But his heart was war:
         His words were softer than oil,
         Yet were they drawn swords.
22     Cast your burden upon YHWH, and He will sustain you;
         He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23     But You, Elohim, will bring them down into the pit of destruction;
         Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
         But I will trust in You.

Those with smooth words are actually at war. They are at war with those who listen to them and they are at war with YHWH. Those who accept their smooth words profane the covenant that YHWH has made with His people. Unless one repents of such actions, they shall be outside the camp of YHWH.

Let us not blindly accept the words of others, particularly when those words make us feel good. Rather, let us test these words with His written word to make sure that what is being said or written lines up with the whole counsel of YHWH as found in His written word. Let us listen to those preachers and teachers which step on our toes and cause us to turn our faces towards our heavenly Father, not towards the teacher.

Shabbat Shalom
Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com