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

YHWH’s Sovereignty
- and the Talmid’s Response

Tehillim (Psalm) 145:13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

YHWH reigns over His creation to do His will. His creation that we live in, is part of His kingdom, but it is not the sum total of it, for we cannot see the entirety of His kingdom, let alone the entirety of His creation.

One of the biggest struggles people today have in following Mashiach is this whole question of sovereignty, particularly YHWH’s sovereignty. It seems that the majority of people just gets caught up in everyday life and do not stop to see that He is working in every detail of their lives. Many cannot see His hand at work in their everyday living and become sad and depressed as a result of not being able to see YHWH working in such a marvelous way. People become sad and depressed because they wrongly think that what is happening to them is not good and not in YHWH’s control. Many times one’s life feels out of control. When a person feels this way, it is linked to a lack of vision that YHWH is sovereign.

The first thing that we must face is the question of sovereignty. Is YHWH sovereign or not? Is YHWH sovereign in my life? Now the answer to this question must be more than academic; it must be more than mere words. The answer to this question must come from a deep inner abiding knowledge and understanding based upon faith and trust in YHWH through Yeshua our Mashiach, that YHWH is indeed sovereign over His creation and that nothing happens in it without His express approval.

Galatians 3:26
For you are all sons of Elohim, through faith, in Mashiach Yeshua.

If this statement is true in your life, then faith is one of the foundation stones of your existence. All good things come to us by and through faith in Mashiach Yeshua, including salvation and eternal life, which means one has been adopted into the family of Elohim and has become His son. This means many things which we are going to examine in this study, particularly those dealing with the sovereignty of our Elohim in the life of the talmid.

“Talmid” is the Hebrew word for “disciple” and “talmidim” is the plural for “disciples.” It simply means “student” or “one who learns”, for this is what we all are, His students.

Romans 9:21
Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?

YHWH is absolutely perfect in who and what He is. This means that all He does is done with perfect precision. It is difficult for us to understand at times that all that YHWH has made and makes is according to His will. He makes no mistakes. Man often asks Elohim why He made him that way. But the answer is always the same: because it was His will to do so.

The biggest problem with questions such as this is that it is based upon pride in the individual. He thinks he should have deserved better than what YHWH has given him. But such queries also draw into question His sovereignty over His creation to do with as He sees fit. This world was not placed here for our own pleasure, even though we can and do gain pleasure in this world. This world was created by our Creator for His own good pleasure to accomplish His will in, through, and by, all that He has created.

Mishle (Proverbs) 16:4
YHWH has made everything for its own end; Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

It is time that we come face to face with reality in YHWH’s world. The common understanding in western society because of the influence of Christianity is that our Creator is all about love and non-judgment of one another. However, this view is in denial of many things found in Scripture, many of which are YHWH speaking about Himself.

The truth is that not everyone is going to be saved. In fact, if one can believe the testimony of Scripture, then not everyone is created for salvation. This is hard for some to swallow, but this does not make it any less a part of His truth.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 64:8
But now, YHWH, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and we all are the work of Your hand.

Here is the problem that is seen in this world. There are many who do not want to be the clay. They would rather be the potter. And so a person takes over YHWH’s rightful position as the Potter and attempts to make himself in his own image. The problem is that his vision is so marred that he does not know what he is making. The one doing such a thing does not realize that he needs to make a vessel that will be able to endure eternity. This is what YHWH is doing in each person who will surrender to His will and place his life totally and completely in His hands. YHWH is the Master Potter. He knows what He is doing even if the pot cannot see what the end result will be or what it will look like. This is where faith and trust enter into the picture. We will discuss this aspect more below. But what about those who are not willing to surrender to His will? What about those who would rather be the potter?

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 29:16
16 You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of Him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of Him that formed it, He has no understanding?

All who attempt to be their own potters will find that they have only made a pot for common use and in the end it will be rejected as a vessel worthy of eternal life.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Mashiach Yeshua for good works, which Elohim beforehand prepared that we should walk in them.

When a person is indeed created in Mashiach, then he is His workmanship. The problem arises when a person having once surrendered to Him and His will, takes back the reins and begins doing his own will once again. When this happens, such a person is not walking in the works YHWH has prepared for him to do.

Each person, when he comes to Yeshua and submits his life to Him as Savior and Mashiach, is created a new being in that moment. In that same moment he is placed in the body of Mashiach according to His will. And according to His will each person is given a task to do to accomplish His will. It is not an individual’s choice what this is or what it entails. Each one of us must do as we are created to do.

It is when an individual does not do as Yeshua has created him to do, that dysfunction and disunity come into the body of Mashiach. When this happens, then all sorts of problems develop in a domino effect from one talmid to another. This illustrates the serious need for each person in Mashiach to come to terms with YHWH’s sovereignty and his own individual place in the body of Mashiach.

Sh’muel Aleph (1st Samuel) 2:7
YHWH makes poor, and makes rich;
He brings low, He also lifts up.

Please note that this verse does not say that YHWH makes every poor person rich, or that He brings low all that which is high, or that He lifts up all that is low. What this verse is saying, is that when a person is lifted up or brought low, YHWH is the one who has done it. This is very important for each one of us to understand. In Scripture, many of the bad things that happened to Israel were because they chose to live in disobedience to His commandments; and these were recorded for us to know about and to learn from their example. Albeit, an example of what not to do.

Qorintyah Aleph (1st Corinthians) 10:11-12
11 Now these things happened to them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of things recorded in Scripture are placed there for the express purpose of teaching us what not to do. This is especially true when recording what the people in Scripture did. So when one looks at historical incidents and things recorded in Scripture, this is one of the questions that he must answer if he is going to walk the straight and narrow path YHWH has called us to walk. Taking an example from the life of a person in Scripture and doing likewise without answering this question is like playing Russian roulette with only one empty chamber. Sooner, rather than later, one is going to do the wrong thing.

Please note that in the passage above before verse eleven, there is a whole list of things recorded that Israel did that were disciplined by YHWH, and these things were recorded to teach us not to do them. Yet, in many cases, we as talmidim of Yeshua fall into the very same predicament and end up being disciplined by YHWH for the same sins. Then we fall before YHWH and bewail our plight and wonder why all this has happened to us and why we are being disciplined.

Many times it is like Yehoshua falling before YHWH after the first battle at Ai. Israel was soundly defeated because of one man’s sin in the camp. He did not obey YHWH and took things into his tent that were under the ban. How many things do we, as talmidim of Yeshua, have in our homes things that YHWH has told us not to have because they have been banned by Him?

My son Lemuel related an incident from his college days. One of the English professors was talking with Lemuel as the professor was grading term papers. There are certain topics that are very popular and after a while the professor will ban certain topics because he gets tired of reading papers on that topic. This particular day, as this English professor was grading papers, he ran across a paper in which the student wrote upon a banned topic. The banned topics are written upon the board for all to see when an assignment is given. There was no excuse for this student to write about a banned topic. Thus, the professor was quite angry that this person wrote about a banned subject. As a result, the paper came under the ban and was treated appropriately.

Likewise, YHWH has banned certain things from being a part of our lives. He has written those down in His Torah. When a person disregards those instructions concerning what YHWH has banned and does so anyway, he will face discipline. He will receive a failing grade. Now YHWH gives us compassion if we repent of this and remove the banned items. Unless the banned items are removed, that person himself will come under the ban.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 7:26
“And you shall not bring an abomination into your house, and become a banned thing like it; you shall utterly detest it, and you shall utterly abhor it; for it is a banned thing.”

YHWH is not slow to discipline His children. If each child needs the same type of discipline, then so be it. But what YHWH would rather have, is for His children to learn from the past mistakes of His other children. This is exactly why He had it all recorded: so we could learn from their mistakes and not have to go through the same discipline as they had to endure.

Yochanan (John) 15:16
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.”

YHWH has chosen each one of us. A person becomes His child when he repents and accepts Yeshua as Savior and Mashiach. From that crisis event of repentance and being born again, a person is supposed to grow in grace and knowledge of Mashiach Yeshua.

Please note the reference to prayer in the above passage. If a person asks anything from our heavenly Father in the name of Yeshua, He will give it to him. Now this does not mean that one should go about asking for things that are outside of His will for that person or for things He has already placed under a ban. Please note this passage.

Ya’aqov (James) 4:2-4
2 You lust, and do not have; you kill, and covet, and cannot obtain; you fight and war; you have not, because you ask not.
3 You ask, and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it in your pleasures.
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim?

Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.

No talmid of Yeshua has any excuse for ever praying anything whatsoever outside of YHWH’s will; there simply is no excuse for it!

Now I realize that this is a pretty bold statement. However, it is completely true. When a person repents of his sin and gives his life to Mashiach, does He not give to that person His Spirit? Does not His Spirit know His will? If a person has the Spirit of Mashiach, then why wouldn’t that person know His will?

Qorintyah Aleph (1st Corinthians) 2:16b
But we have the mind of Mashiach.

The truth is that he should know. But the reality is that one often does not. Why? One often does not know His will for his own life simply because he has not taken the time to listen for it. One must hear and obey His Voice. “In this case, what is His will for me?” Also, one often does not know His will because he is not willing to walk in the fullness of His will. He is not willing to surrender his own personal will and replace it with the will of our heavenly Father.

When praying for others, do you simply pray what you were requested to pray by the other person? When you do that, do you realize that you are very likely praying that person’s will? How can our Father answer such prayers? The prayer life of most talmidim today is a “hit-n-miss” proposition. Frankly, it is shameful.

Luqa (Luke) 11:1
And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, that when He ceased, one of His talmidim said to Him, “Adonenu, teach us to pray, even as Yochanan also taught his disciples.”

So what is the first step in a talmid’s prayer life? Should it not be to ask what His will is in a particular matter? To be sure! If one is asked to pray, then his prayer should begin by asking YHWH to teach him what to pray in this situation. This is what Yeshua’s talmidim did then. This is what Yeshua’s talmidim still do today. They seek Him and ask Him to teach them to pray. Not just in a general sense, but rather in each and every specific circumstance.

If you ask me to pray for you or for a particular situation in your life, then I will ask YHWH to teach me to pray for you in this particular circumstance so that I know without any doubt that what I am praying is according to His will. After all, is this not what we truly desire? It is what we truly need, to pray according to His will rather than according to the will of man, whether that man be you or me.

Yochanan Aleph (1st John) 5:14-15
14 And this is the boldness which we have toward Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us;
15 and if we know that He hears us in whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him.

Here is the way that YHWH has designed it to be.

1. We ask Him what to pray for;
2. He tells us what to pray for;
3. We pray;
4. He answers.

The problem arises when the first two steps are left out. But when these steps are included, then our faith is perfect. When we pray with perfect faith, then He will give to us exactly what we have asked for because it is what He has told us to pray. We know without any doubts that it is His will for this to be done, because what we are praying is straight from Him.

Please allow me to say it again.

No talmid of Yeshua has any excuse for ever praying anything whatsoever outside of YHWH’s will; there simply is no excuse for it!

Please make a special note of what this does to a person’s faith. When we do things according to His plan and according to His will, then our faith is increased. Let me ask you a question: can you walk on water? No? Why not? What if the Spirit of Yeshua told you to walk on water because there was a need for you to do so? Could you then? Of course! Do you see the difference? In the first instance, just because one would like to do so because it would be fun, or cool, or to prove a point, is selfish and YHWH will not answer. However, if He tells us to do this because we need to do it because it is His will, well then, there is no problem as long as we step out and take that first step. YHWH will answer and we will do what He has requested us to do. It will be done one step at a time.

Let us consider Nebuchadnezzar and what YHWH did in his life.

Daniel 4:17
The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.

In this particular case YHWH chose Nebuchadnezzar to rule over the kingdom of Babylon, which at that time encompassed the whole earth, not literally, but figuratively.

Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 27:5-6
5 “I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by My great power and by My outstretched arm; and I give it to whom it seems right to Me.
6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field also have I given him to serve him.”

YHWH clearly tells us that many times we do not understand His thoughts or His ways. In this case YHWH placed the rule of the world under a man who did not fully follow YHWH, a man who worshipped and served pagan gods.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 55:8-9
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” says YHWH.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

When a leader is placed at the head of a nation, be sure of this one thing: YHWH has done it! One may not understand this, but it does not make it any less true. YHWH is sovereign over His creation to do His will according to His time. Please note that YHWH clearly states that Nebuchadnezzar was His servant. The problem arose when Nebuchadnezzar stopped acting like that and became lifted up with pride. Then YHWH set discipline over him.

Daniel 4:25
“that you shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and you shall be made to eat grass as oxen, and shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you; till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will.”

The whole point of this lesson for Nebuchadnezzar was to teach him who was sovereign in this world. It is YHWH! Then YHWH had it recorded and preserved so that each one of us could learn this same lesson, at his expense no less. YHWH is sovereign. I wonder if we are getting this lesson. Or, will YHWH need to teach us this lesson at our own expense?

Daniel 4:34
“And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that lives forever; for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom from generation to generation.”

We know that, at least at that moment, Nebuchadnezzar got the lesson from YHWH that He is sovereign over His creation to do with it as He wills. I hope and pray that each one of us learns and understands this lesson from Scripture as well, for it is such an important and vital lesson.

On a side note, the “end of days” in this passage is speaking to the end of the days of discipline that Nebuchadnezzar had to endure.

Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all His works are truth, and His ways justice; and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.

Not only did Nebuchadnezzar learn this lesson, but he also lifted up praise to YHWH. In that praise of our Creator, Nebuchadnezzar states a truth that was borne of this experience. YHWH is fully able to bring low those who are full of pride.

Tehillim (Psalm) 75:7
But Elohim is the judge;
He puts down one, and lifts up another.

YHWH always does this according to His will. He watches over His creation to perform His will. His will, will be done. Yeshua even taught us to pray this.

Matithyah (Matthew) 6:9-10
9 “You, therefore, pray like this:
Our Father in heaven!
May your Name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.”

How is YHWH’s will done in heaven? When YHWH gives instructions to one of His messengers, His messenger immediately runs off to do that which he was instructed to do. If only His people would be so diligent! Yeshua taught us that we are to make this desire a part of our prayers so that it becomes a reality in our lives in the here and now.

We have spoken a little bit about prayer and faith above as it relates to the sovereignty of YHWH in our lives. What about trust? Do we as followers of Mashiach Yeshua truly trust Him? Do we trust Him with everything that we have and own as well as all our relationships? Or, do we live in such a way that we think and act as though we sometimes know better than He does? Do we get mad at YHWH at times for what He is doing in our lives? If we do, then we are not fully trusting in Him at that moment. He is fully trustworthy and He is always a good Father to each and every one of His children, giving to them good and perfect gifts according to His will and according to the need of the child.

Ya’aqov (James) 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.

Everything that comes into our lives is good for us. The problem arises when we do not see it as being so. Sometimes we see things that come into our lives as being evil. If a person has a tumor and goes in for surgery, that tumor is removed by inflicting pain upon the patient. That pain will last for a while until the wound heals. But when the wound heals, then the person is better off, for the tumor is gone.

Likewise, every single thing that YHWH either sends or allows to come into the life of the talmid is good for us. We may not see it right away. We may not even see it in this life. But we can rest assured that all things from Him are good and perfect for us. It is also for the greater good of His body as we fulfill His will within that framework of talmidim.

Matithyah (Matthew) 7:11
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?”

It has been the common practice of Israel to see all things as coming from the hand of our Creator.

Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always for all things in the name of Adonenu Yeshua the Mashiach to Elohim, even the Father;

There is great safety in living as if all things come from YHWH our Elohim! First of all, it is true. All things do come from Him. He either causes them or He allows them. But the result is the same: they are from His hand. It is time that each talmid of Yeshua firmly grasps this truth.

The difficulty arises when the talmidim of Yeshua go around and give credit to Satan for doing something to them or in their lives. Yes, Satan does attack us. But do you realize that he cannot do this unless YHWH gives him permission? Do you realize that Satan can only do His will? Yes, he is in rebellion, but YHWH is still sovereign! It is time that the talmidim of Yeshua stop giving Satan honor and glory and credit, for he deserves nothing.

When YHWH allows Satan to attack us, then YHWH is disciplining or testing us. We need to immediately seek YHWH in this matter and ask Him what we have done to allow this to happen. If we are being attacked, then there is only one of two reasons that this can come about. One is that a person has done wrong and is being disciplined. The other is that we have done right and Satan is angry about it and causes us to suffer for it. But in either case, the reason that YHWH allows the attack in the first place is to draw us closer to Him! YHWH is always teaching us something through this if we will seek Him and ask what it is that we are to learn.

But there is one other aspect of understanding that all things are from His hand that is perhaps the most important of all. It safeguards us in a way that we may not realize.

Matithyah (Matthew) 12:31-32
31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
32 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.”

It seems that most people would agree that this is a very serious matter, to speak against His Spirit. However, as much as has been written about this, some good, some not so good, and some downright wrong, there is a lot of misunderstanding as to what Yeshua meant when He said this. So what did He mean?

Yeshua had just cast a demon out of a man who was blind and dumb, and He caused him to see and speak. Yeshua did this by the Spirit of YHWH. However, there were those who were present who declared that this was done by the ruler of the underworld, Ba’al Z’vuv. In short, these men stated that a work done by the Ruach Qodesh was an unclean work done by a demon.

Any time that we as His talmidim see or hear of something that we do not fully understand, and as a result of that lack of understanding, declare that something is demonic, then we take gun in hand and point it directly at ourselves. If a particular work is done by demons, then no harm comes to us. However, if a particular incident was actually done by and through the agency of His Spirit, then that person has just committed spiritual suicide if he declares that particular work to be done by demons.

Brothers and sisters, we need to be extremely cautious and very judicious about declaring that anything is demonic. Just because we do not agree with something, or just because something does not hold up to what we presently believe, does not automatically make it demonic. Consider how far you personally have come in the last several years. Look how your understanding has grown and changed. Consider how many times your present walk has been called demonic. Do not be guilty of doing the same thing! In a few more years you may be where you did not ever think you would be as you continue to grow and mature in Mashiach Yeshua. We need to show great wisdom in this area of our lives.

When we take the rightful position that all things come from YHWH, then we are totally safe and will never commit the sin which cannot be forgiven. For it is absolutely true that all things are from our heavenly Father. Let us live and act like it and give praise to YHWH our Elohim, rather than to Satan!

1st Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only Elohim, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amein.

YHWH is the only one who truly deserves credit. Satan can only do that which YHWH allows him to do. If it is not within the will of our sovereign Elohim, then Satan cannot do it. It is that simple. Let every man praise YHWH and thank Him for all things just as Scripture teaches us to do and stop giving place to Satan in our lives. Let us cast him far from us and give the glory and honor to YHWH our Elohim and only to Him.

Whatever is in a man’s heart, this is what will eventually come out of his mouth. YHWH causes the events in each person’s life to be so ordered so as to put him under pressure to cause this to happen.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 8:2
“And you shall remember all the way which YHWH your Elohim has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments, or not.”

YHWH is in the business of revealing hearts. This is why it is so very important, that when things happen in a person’s life such as tragedy or adverse circumstances or whatever it may be, that we seek YHWH our Elohim and allow Him to speak to us and show us what is in our hearts. Whether it is good or evil, YHWH will bring it to the surface for that man to see. But he must be willing to be honest with himself and accept the truth that YHWH shows to him.

Part of the purification process of this life is coming to grips with the sovereignty of YHWH in one’s personal life. Yes, YHWH is sovereign over His creation, but have you and I made Him and are we making Him sovereign over our own life personally? This is the real question. This is where the struggles of life are focused. Whatever the reality is, YHWH will reveal it. If there is a particular area in which a person has not relinquished control to YHWH, then YHWH will bring circumstances to bear upon that person so that this is revealed. First to the person, then to others if the person is not getting it so that others may point this out to him.

Here are some questions for each one of us to ponder before YHWH our Elohim.

1. Does my prayer life reflect YHWH’s sovereignty? Or, do my prayers reflect a self-centeredness?

2. Do I really trust YHWH? Does my life reflect that I really trust His personal instructions for me? Do the words of my mouth reveal trust or a lack of trust?

3. Do I regularly step out in faith to follow YHWH? Or, does my life reflect a lack of faith and that I only walk by sight?

4. Do I really know that all things come from my heavenly Father’s hand? Or, am I still caught up in a worldly mindset in which there are such things as accidents, coincidences, and such things that place the control of my life out of His loving hands?

Here is the truth of this matter: YHWH is, in fact, sovereign over all. The question is: Have you made Him sovereign over your life? Have you made Him sovereign over every area and everything in your life? If not, then how can He give to you eternal life, which means that you will spend it with Him, the Sovereign of the universe?

Qorintyah Aleph (1st Corinthians) 15:24-28
24 Then comes the end, when He shall deliver up the kingdom to Elohim, even the Father; when He shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign, till He has put all his enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.
27 For, He put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that He is excepted who did subject all things to Him.
28 And when all things have been subjected to Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subjected to Him that did subject all things to Him, that Elohim may be all in all.

The reality is that each person will bow the knee and declare that Yeshua is the Master of all. Now if a person does this in the here and now, then this coming declaration will only serve as an entrance into eternal life. However, if a person refuses to do it now, and only acknowledges His sovereignty on the Day of Judgment, he will do so to his own damnation.

Gilyana (Revelation) 11:17
saying, “We give You thanks, YHWH Elohim, the Almighty, who are and who was; because You have taken Your great power, and did reign.”

One of the purposes of the millennial reign of Mashiach is to reveal to man His sovereignty. It is also to show man that the evil in his own heart must be removed and that each individual is fully responsible for getting this done. As we know from Scripture, Satan will be bound for one thousand years. The comedian Flip Wilson made a saying popular many years ago. “The devil made me do it.” While this comedian made this saying popular, the idea has always been and continues to be a part of modern day culture. I am not at fault because the devil made me do it. Well, who is going to be blamed during the millennium when the devil has been bound and cannot tempt anyone? One of the purposes of the millennium is to reveal to man that a devil is not necessary for man to do evil, for the darkness in one’s own heart is more than sufficient for this. Rebellion comes from the inside, not from the outside.

Each person does what he does because that is what he wants to do. No person ever truly “forces” another person to do anything. It is time that we all grow up and take responsibility for our own actions and choices. We do what we do because we choose to do it. Often what actually happens, is that a person is looking for an excuse to do something and when a convenient scapegoat comes along, he jumps on and rides it for all it’s worth. Because most people do this, most are actually willing to support another in whipping his personal scapegoat; because when it is their turn to use a scapegoat, they want to be supported in like manner. But none of that is being honest with the reality of personal choice and responsibility.

The greatest choice that any one of us can make is to turn over our own personal sovereignty to YHWH our Elohim and become His servant, doing as He instructs us in every matter, both great and small.

Mishle (Proverbs) 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish;
But he that keeps the Torah, happy is he.

His people need a vision of His sovereignty. We need to see that He is indeed worthy of our service. We need to see that He is fully trustworthy and He will never disappoint us. We need to see that to make Him sovereign over our own personal lives is the greatest choice that one could ever make.

ABBA YHWH, we submit our lives to You, fully and completely; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach. Amein and Amein.

Shabbat Shalom
Zerubbabel ben Emunah
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