Daily Bible Portion (Wednesday)
Daily Bible Portion 4 of 7
"REWARD"
(Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25, Isaiah 49:14-51:3, Hebrews 12:1-29, Luke 4:1-13)
What ways do we falsely worship God and what things do we bring into our houses that are detestable to Him? Here are just a few idols from our Western culture:
•Christmas Santa Claus (All knowing, knows good kids from bad kids) idol worship and objects. The Christmas tree (a male phallic symbol with balls, which is a modern-day Asherah pole that we bow down to for gifts, mistletoe, Santa Claus, stockings, Yule log and wreaths
•Easter worship and Easter bunnies, eggs and hot cross buns
•Angelic images and objects (for “angel worship”)
•Everything associated with the celebration of Halloween
•Abhorred forms of worship found in secret societies like Freemasonry, fraternities and sororities, and their symbols.
•False religions such as Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, religious idols, foreign gods and obelisks
•Yoga, Pilates, horoscopes, karate, pagan symbols, dream catchers
•Pharmacia (which can create dependency both prescription drugs or homeopathic remedies also masking the illness instead of going to the spiritual root of the problem)
•Acupuncture, psychology, occulitic forms of massage, Reiki, tapping
•Science fiction, occultic music, occultic books and movies like Harry Potter and many Disney, mind control courses and the list could go on and on…
Observing the commandments, walking in His ways and revering Him bring the blessings in our lives.
Thankfulness to Yahweh after a Meal
We see in the New Testament/Brit Chadasha that both Yeshua and Paul gave the blessing before a meal. This was in fulfillment with the offerings listed in Leviticus chapter 1-7. The animal sacrifices represented people and the offerings of the heart, which is what is being taught in the New Testament/Brit Chadasha.
Yahweh also commands us to remember to thank Him after the meal. There is a reason for this. It is about idol worship. The Word says if we are not thankful after the meal, we will tend to forget Yahweh and get caught up in the riches of the land. We will forget His ways and what He has done for us. Our hearts will become proud and we will be led astray, being enticed by other gods to bow down to them. We will have forgotten how Yahweh tested us to humble us so that in the end it might go well with us.
In Romans, Paul exposes the root of this in more sobering thought…
Remember and Never Forget
What are we to remember today that provoked Yahweh’s anger? When we forget the Gospel, we turn to idols to try and fill the void. The worship of Yahweh through an idol like the golden calf is forbidden.
We are called to remember Yahweh’s Gospel given at Mount Sinai so we will not go into idolatry worship. It seems that everyone remembers the story of the Exodus, but few remember what provoked Yahweh to anger or the message He spoke through Moses to the people during that time. This is the important part. Yahweh wants us to remember, as we are a royal priesthood and He wants us to inherit and keep all of His promised blessings in our lives – and in ‘the Land’ of our inheritance. He wants to pour out his blessings upon us. This is His love toward us. We are commanded to never forget how to walk in His ways.
continues tomorrow...
"REWARD"
(Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25, Isaiah 49:14-51:3, Hebrews 12:1-29, Luke 4:1-13)
What ways do we falsely worship God and what things do we bring into our houses that are detestable to Him? Here are just a few idols from our Western culture:
•Christmas Santa Claus (All knowing, knows good kids from bad kids) idol worship and objects. The Christmas tree (a male phallic symbol with balls, which is a modern-day Asherah pole that we bow down to for gifts, mistletoe, Santa Claus, stockings, Yule log and wreaths
•Easter worship and Easter bunnies, eggs and hot cross buns
•Angelic images and objects (for “angel worship”)
•Everything associated with the celebration of Halloween
•Abhorred forms of worship found in secret societies like Freemasonry, fraternities and sororities, and their symbols.
•False religions such as Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, religious idols, foreign gods and obelisks
•Yoga, Pilates, horoscopes, karate, pagan symbols, dream catchers
•Pharmacia (which can create dependency both prescription drugs or homeopathic remedies also masking the illness instead of going to the spiritual root of the problem)
•Acupuncture, psychology, occulitic forms of massage, Reiki, tapping
•Science fiction, occultic music, occultic books and movies like Harry Potter and many Disney, mind control courses and the list could go on and on…
Deuteronomy 8:1-3 “Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that Yahweh promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how Yahweh led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would KEEP (do) his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of Yahweh.”
Observing the commandments, walking in His ways and revering Him bring the blessings in our lives.
Thankfulness to Yahweh after a Meal
Deuteronomy 8:10-18 “Observe the commands of Yahweh, walking in His ways and revering Him. When you have eaten and are satisfied (after the meal), praise Yahweh for the good land He has given you.”
We see in the New Testament/Brit Chadasha that both Yeshua and Paul gave the blessing before a meal. This was in fulfillment with the offerings listed in Leviticus chapter 1-7. The animal sacrifices represented people and the offerings of the heart, which is what is being taught in the New Testament/Brit Chadasha.
Yahweh also commands us to remember to thank Him after the meal. There is a reason for this. It is about idol worship. The Word says if we are not thankful after the meal, we will tend to forget Yahweh and get caught up in the riches of the land. We will forget His ways and what He has done for us. Our hearts will become proud and we will be led astray, being enticed by other gods to bow down to them. We will have forgotten how Yahweh tested us to humble us so that in the end it might go well with us.
“Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. And you shall remember that Yahweh your God/Elohim, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18; Hebrews 4).
In Romans, Paul exposes the root of this in more sobering thought…
Romans 1:18-32 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
Remember and Never Forget
Deuteronomy 9:7-10:5 “Remember this and never forget how you provoked Yahweh to anger in the desert.”
What are we to remember today that provoked Yahweh’s anger? When we forget the Gospel, we turn to idols to try and fill the void. The worship of Yahweh through an idol like the golden calf is forbidden.
Exodus 32:4 “And he [Aaron] received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”
We are called to remember Yahweh’s Gospel given at Mount Sinai so we will not go into idolatry worship. It seems that everyone remembers the story of the Exodus, but few remember what provoked Yahweh to anger or the message He spoke through Moses to the people during that time. This is the important part. Yahweh wants us to remember, as we are a royal priesthood and He wants us to inherit and keep all of His promised blessings in our lives – and in ‘the Land’ of our inheritance. He wants to pour out his blessings upon us. This is His love toward us. We are commanded to never forget how to walk in His ways.
continues tomorrow...