How do we pronounce the Tetragrammaton, the 4- letters (יהוה) which signify who God told Moses to tell the people sent him to them?
Are God the Father and Yeshua the Messiah really one entity in two distinct persons?
Was Job a real person?
How many other questions have you come across that seem to be difficult, if not impossible, to answer?
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Here’s my question to you:
What does it matter?
Will knowing how the four letters are pronounced make you any more saved than you are now?
The Bible tells us what the relationship between God and Yeshua is: God is the Father of Yeshua and Yeshua is the Messiah he promised to send. So, what else do you need to know to be saved? Will knowing if their relationship is more than that get you a better seat at the table?
And what if Job is just a story? Does that make the message it sends, which is we cannot always understand why God does what he does, any less important?
I have seen, all too often, so many arguments about the topics I just mentioned, as well as many other things which haven’t edified anyone or given anyone a better understanding of God and that’s because the only thing that most of these arguments has done is to cause confusion and dissension within the body of believers.
Remember how pissed Shaul (Paul) was at the Jewish believers in Galatia? They were trying to make the neophyte Gentile believers convert completely to Judaism all at once. Shaul knew that this would turn away more people than it would help, which is why Shaul had the Gentiles he was bringing to Messiah learn about the Torah slowly, teaching them the spiritual meaning of the commandments (which is what Yeshua did) instead of having them go through the motions of converting.
He knew what was important for them to know, when it was important for them to know, and what they didn’t need to know in order to stay on the right track to salvation.
I feel the same way he did- frustrated and angry- with those people who argue about topics that have no value at all when it comes to being saved.
How are we saved, really? It is very simple: we need to accept that Yeshua is the Messiah God promised to send, and that his sacrifice replaced the need to bring an animal to the temple in order for us to be forgiven of our sins.
The sacrificial system never went away- what did go away was the ability to perform the sacrifice as God commanded after the temple was destroyed in 73 A.D., which was the only place the Torah said we were allowed to perform a sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:11).
That is why in John 14:6 Yeshua said the only way to The Father is through him. When Yeshua was resurrected, that proved his sacrifice was accepted as a substitute for bringing an animal to the temple.
Sin prevents us from being in God’s presence, and salvation is the result of being cleansed of our sins. The sacrifice of an innocent animal used to provide for that, and now that is provided through the sacrifice of Yeshua.
Leviticus explains that after a sin sacrifice there would be a friendship sacrifice. This was the only sacrifice where the one bringing the animal also got a share of the animal to eat there, in a holy place. This was sort of like having dinner with God. Yeshua’s sacrifice served as the Yom Kippur sin sacrifice and since it was done on the Passover, which is a friendship sacrifice, it also served that role: Yeshua’s one-time sacrifice was for both sin and friendship. That is why through Yeshua we can be saved and thereby commune with God.
So, my point to all this is that questions that lead to a better understanding of God and his Torah are not unimportant, per se’, but most are not needed for salvation. I’ll go along with discussing these things as a way to get to know God better or gain a deeper understanding of his Torah, but when they become just a way for someone to show off how much more they know than you do, well…that serves no one but the Enemy of God.
So, learn all you can- that’s okay- but I suggest you do not get involved in arguments about topics that do not affect your salvation; because, unless it is in an atmosphere of mutual respect where everyone understands it is just for knowledge and not a salvation issue, you may find yourself getting more and more confused, being led down a path of Gnostic irrelevance instead of being edified and receiving spiritual guidance to a better knowledge and relationship with God and Messiah Yeshua.
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That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!
PS: I won’t be posting all next week as I will be celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary to Donna while visiting with friends in the UK.
