“Freedom From Fear” by Rabbi Ariel Ehrmantrout
This Weeks Torah Portion is: Mishpatim
Exodus 21:1 to 24:18
Haftarah 2 Kings 12:1-17
Priesthood Instructions Romans 1-4
“Freedom from FEAR”
Today’s Reading is Exodus 24:3-18
3 When Moses went and told the people all YHWH’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything YHWH has said we will do.” 4 Moses then wrote down everything YHWH had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to YHWH. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything YHWH has said; we will obey.” 8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that YHWH has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the Elohim of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. 11 But Elohim did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw Elohim, and they ate and drank. 12 YHWH said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.” 13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of Elohim. 14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.” 15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of YHWH settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day YHWH called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of YHWH looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”
Luke 12:22-32 Says “22Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
I. FEAR is a SPIRIT–that if left unchecked can actually kill the natural body!
A. Fear results from our past sinfulness and Torahless behavior
Genesis 3:8 says ” 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:10 Says “10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
Deuteronomy 28:65-67 say what happens when we violate the Torah,
“65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”-because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.
B. Fear results from memories of unmet expectations–
James 4:2-3 “2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
C. Fear results when we look selectively at our past in denial of natural consequences that result from not obeying Torah’s habits for success
Deuteronomy 28:15 says “15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you”
Deuteronomy 29:45-48 says “45 All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. 46 They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
D. Fear will result in our life when we have a punishment mentality
Galatians 3:13 says “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
E. Greek versus Hebrew views on Judgment– Yeshua bore your JUDGEMENT on the execution stake
–The Greek View is one of punishing and torment
–The Hebrew Word for Judgment is SHAPHAT Strongs # 8199–Which means “VINDICATING”–The Hebrew view of Judgment is one of GRACE AND MERCY–as the Judgment Seat is referred to AS THE MERCY SEAT!
II. Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
A. Obeying the Torah by the Spirit brings about perfect love
1 John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
James 1:22-25 says “22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
B. Jesus constantly said to the Apostles: “Fear Not–for I AM WITH YOU.”
Isaiah 41:10 says “10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
C. Yeshua left us HIS PEACE
John 14:27 Yeshua makes this promise to us “27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
D. We fall for fear as a result of misteaching. For example, we don’t know what Yeshua was doing in the Garden of Gethsemane–“Didn’t Jesus get scared of the Cross?” NO!
Mark 14:35-36 says “ 35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36″Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
III. Fear is based in a lack of TRUST OF YHWH
A. Trust is the condition of complete and total reliance on the Lord
Psalm 27:1 says “1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
Proverbs 3:5 says “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
–The Word rendered TRUST here is BATACH Strongs 0982 meaning “to trust–to have confidence, to be bold–and to be secure
B. Your days and your every footstep is ORDERED BY THE LORD
Jeremiah 1:5 says “5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Proverbs 16:9 says “9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
C. Bad things happen in every life–Rain falls on the just and the unjust–but when you face challenges in your life–you are being disciplined by God for the ability to help– SOMEONE ELSE GET THROUGH A SIMILAR SITUATION
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 says “3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
D. FEAR is an emotion that indicates something IS ALIVE IN US–We have an AREA yet to be SURRENDERED TO THE LORD–FEAR IS ALL ABOUT OUR AREA’S OF UNFORGIVENESS–that leave us with the EXPECTATION OF PUNISHMENT
Hebrews 10:26-27 says “26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
Isaiah 53:5 speaks of Messiah bearing YOUR PUNISHMENT–SO NOTHING IS LEFT TO FEAR when it says “5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
E. The 7 Keys to walking free from fear!!
1. You must SAY ONLY what Torah says about you (John 6:63)
2. You must leave the past behind (Philippians 4:13)
3. Confess that YOU ARE in the center of God’s appointed plan for your life. (Proverbs 16:9)
4. You must realize that you died–and now Messiah lives through you–so He BECAME your punishment for Sin (Colossian 3:3 and Isaiah 53:5)
5. Obey God’s Teaching and Instructions and keep the festivals and feast days (Deuteronomy 28)
6. Enter in Sabbath Observance (Exodus 20:8)
7. Forgive Everyone who has ever harmed you. (Matthew 6:14-15)
Practice these and have a peaceful week: Shavuatov Rabbi Ariel Ehrmantrout (C) 2010 All Rights Reserved Worldwide
This Weeks Haftarah: 2 Kings 12:1 – 17
Today’s Haftarah Message: “An Honest Repair Job”
Today’s Reading 2 Kings 12: 13 – 15 “13 The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD; 14 it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple. 15 They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.”
In this week’s Haftarah, Joash King of Judah and Jehoiada the Priest are supervising repairs being made to The Temple in Jerusalem. They collect and appropriate monies, not for new Temple Implements (i.e. bowls, basins, trumpets etc), but for the repair of damages to The Existing Temple, because The Temple was in need of repair.
Today, we are The Temple of God – God’s Temple.
2 Corinthians 6:16 says “16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
How does God’s Temple get in a condition that it is in need of repair from damages today? The answer is the same way The Temple(s) in Jerusalem were damaged in the past. Today, we will explore these causes.
1. God’s Temple gets damaged from Foreign Invaders. Solomon’s Temple was damaged by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Herod’s Temple was damaged by the Romans. Both groups of invaders were Pagans, who lived their lives foreign to God’s Ways of living.
Today’s Foreign Invaders are those things (and in some cases people) that we know we should not be watching, reading, and listening to allow to enter our eye and ear gate – and from there gets into our spirit and mind. Ask yourself:
Do you watch TV shows and movies, or read books and magazines you know are inappropriate and pollute your spirit and mind?
Do you listen to council from people who do not follow God’s Teaching and Instruction?
Do you listen or participate in slander and gossip about your neighbors?
If you do, you are allowing Foreign Invaders – Invaders that live Foreign to the Ways of God – to influence you.
The Good News is that these Foreign Invaders can be repelled – Simply by not participate in those activities and replacing them with other activities. This is a sign of maturing.
Philippians 4: 8 – 9 says “8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 3: 15 – 16 says “15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”
2. God’s Temple gets damaged from Neglect. Nehemiah came back to the House of God that was neglected – and in true Nehemiah fashion – did not sit back and let it continue without immediate correction.
Nehemiah 13: 8 – 11 says “8 I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9 I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.
10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.”
Today, Neglecting God’s Temple is to treat Holy items and people – the things and people associated with God – as ordinary, or everyday.
God separates the Holy and the common. As part of Israel, co-rulers with God, we are also to teach the differences between the clean & unclean and Holy & common.
Ezekiel 44: 23 – 24 says “23 They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.24 ” ‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed feasts, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.”
Neglecting God’s Word – His Teaching and Instruction (Torah) – is another way we neglect God’s Temple.
Palms 199:16 says “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”
3. God’s Temple gets damaged from Misuse. God’s Temple can be misused when His instructions are not followed. Abihu and Nadab, Aaron’s sons, presented unauthorized fire to God. The result of this was that Abihu and Nadab died because of their mistake.
Leviticus 10: 1 – 3 says “ 1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of when he said:
” ‘Among those who approach me
I will show myself holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.’ ”
Aaron remained silent.”
Today, one way we misapply the Torah is we do not follow the “Sprit of the Torah” in situations – especially when it comes to dealing with our neighbor. Rabbi Y’Shua gives us an example of this in Mathew.
Mathew 23:23 Rabbi Y’Shua Speaking says ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
The most egregious way we misapply God’s Word – His Torah (Teaching and Instruction) – is when we claim The Torah is done away with – that Jesus did it so I don’t have to.
Mathew 24:35 Rabbi Y’Shua Speaking says “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Do you misapply the Torah? Do you say that the Torah is done away with and is no longer valid? We need to look inside ourselves for the answers.
Shalom
Rabbi Shaun Sailor
[5th Year Torah Student and Student Rabbi Shaun S. Sailor appears the courtesy of Temple Ahavah Torah Training Center. If you enjoy Reb Sailor’s Haftarah commentary each week, take a moment and jot him and encouraging note at shaun.sailor@yahoo.com ]
Thank You!! Rabbi Ariel Ehrmantrout
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