Please allow me a few paragraphs, to set the background.  The Scriptures tell us that at the end of King Solomon’s reign, he had turned away from YHWH and begun to worship the gods of his foreign wives.  As punishment, YHWH would remove the kingdom from his family line.  The prophet Ahijah came to Jeroboam, who was the overseer of Solomon’s labor force, and prophesied that YHWH would divide the kingdom of Israel into two parts (1 Kings 11:29-35).  The smaller part would consist of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and would collectively be known as Judah.  The larger part would consist of the other ten tribes, and would be known as Ephraim.

Ephraim, as punishment for idolatry and rebellion, would eventually be scattered across the face of the earth.  It is not a stretch to believe that the ten northern tribes (collectively known as Ephraim) are well-represented in the United States.   Isaiah prophesied that Ephraim would continue to experience YHWH’s wrath, but rather than repenting and returning to the Father, Ephraim would defiantly rebel against YHWH’s judgment!

Isaiah prophesied that rather than accept destruction as YHWH’s judgment, Ephraim would rebelliously seize that judgment as an opportunity to rebuild, bigger and better than before:

8 YHWH sends a message against Jacob, and it falls on Israel.

9 And all the people know it, that is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart:

10 “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with hewn stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars” (Isaiah 9:8-10).

Without further ado, here is the video.  The first time I saw it, I had chills running down my spine.  It’s not often that we get to experience first-hand the fulfillment of prophecy, and I believe that this is exactly what is happening.  Please watch this video with an open mind and prayerful heart, and I believe that you will agree; this is prophecy fulfilled in our day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW6roFN7NAE

I mention the modern church only because I’ve been considering the prophecy given by the prophet Amos regarding the Truth that is the Word of YHWH.   Amos, writing what the Heavenly Father told him to write, tells us; “‘days are coming,’ declares YHWH Elohim, ‘when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the Word of YHWH’” (Amos 8:11).  I believe that a famine of the Word is already occuring in the modern church.

I was pondering the prophetic meaning of that passage in Amos while I was reading the parable of the three servants in Matthew chapter 25, and then something “clicked” for me.  Please allow me to refresh our memories of that parable.  Yeshua is speaking about the kingdom of YHWH:

14 For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted  to them his property.

15 To one he gave five talents (a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages), to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.  Then he went away.

16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.

17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.

18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.”

21 His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.”

22 And he who had the two talents came forward, saying,”Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.”

23 His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.”

24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,

25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.  Here you have what is yours.”

26 But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant!  You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?

27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

28 So take the talent from him and give it to him that has the ten talents.

29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.  But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:14-30 ESV).

Talents Equal Truth

The obvious interpretation of this parable is that Yeshua is talking about money; investing in the kingdom via charity, gifts, and tithes.  I’m not saying that interpretation is incorrect, I’m simply saying that I believe that there is another, deeper interpretation.  I believe that Yeshua is equating talents with truth; specifically, His Truth as written in the Scriptures.

Yeshua tells us that the Scriptures are Truth.  When He sent out His disciples to spread the Good News, Yeshua prayed for YHWH to “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).  He also tells us that YHWH will give wisdom generously to all who seek it (James 1:5), and we know from the Book of Proverbs that wisdom is Truth (Proverbs 2:6-7).    I believe that the parable of the three servants is Yeshua telling us that those who have the Truth, who have wisdom and understanding, will be given more if they are faithful to study the Word and increase the Truth they already have.  Conversely, I believe that Yeshua tells us that those who have Truth, but do not seek to increase it, will lose what little they have.

I’m not just making this up… I’ve actually seen this at work in the lives of two people I know.  One of those people is my beautiful bride.  As long as I’ve known her, she has loved and defended the Word of YHWH against all kinds of attacks.  I’ve watched my beautiful bride witness to the local Jehovah’s Witness!  Too many times I’ve seen her frustration, because she just couldn’t get through to a person that called themselves “Christian” but who refused to accept delivery of the Truth.

What does YHWH say about people like that?  ”By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.  The one who says,’I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of YHWH has truly been perfected” (1 John 2:3-5).  I know that my lovely wife loves the Truth, and I see her gaining wisdom and understanding of YHWH every day!  My beautiful bride is the epitome of the servant who was given the five talents, and I see daily that Yeshua HaMeshiach is perfecting His love in her.

Use It or Lose It

Conversely, I know another person, a former member of our assembly, that personifies the worthless servant who was given the one talent.  This person was in our assembly, so they knew enough Truth to keep the proper sabbath.  They wore the tzitziyot and observed the dietary restrictions.  On the surface, this person looked like a true believer.

Unfortunately, my former acquaintance “discovered” a new teacher on the internet, and became a devoted follower.  This teacher is of the Revelation 2:14 variety.  Shortly after following that teacher, this person stopped wearing their tzitzits.  Soon they began combing through the Scriptures; not looking for truth, but looking for “loopholes” in order to justify their pet iniquity.  The last time I saw my former acquaintance, they regaled me with the tale of their late-night munchie run to Wal-Mart.  I suppose I should be more specific.  The last time I saw this person, they regaled me with the tale of their late-Friday-night munchie run to Wal-Mart.  What little Truth they had appears to be gone.

I truly believe that Yeshua HaMeshiach was giving us a glimpse not just into the kingdom of YHWH, but also into the spiritual condition of true believers and of so-called “believers”.  I know that Yeshua only spoke what the Father told Him to say (John 12:50), so maybe Father YHWH is giving a message for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.  Please join me in prayer for all those who call themselves believers but show no sign of the Truth, that they repent of their sins and keep YHWH’s Word, before they are thrown into the outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of their teeth.

Of course, making the lawn beautiful requires a lot of work on my end, and I do devote a lot of time to raking, mowing, and trying to keep the weeds in check.  I’m not a fanatic about it, I definitely don’t have any “best lawn” rivalries with the neighbors, but I do like the look of a neatly manicured, weed-free yard.  My beautiful bride knows this, and today she gave me an analogy that was so great that I knew I had to use it right away.

Come spring the yard work commences, and while I do a lot of the work myself, I will delegate some of the work to my son.  One of his yard work chores is to help bag the clippings, another is to pull the weeds.  Let’s suppose that this year I want to make his life a little easier, so I go to the home and garden store for a bottle of weed killer.  When I get home, I take the time to give my boy detailed instructions on how to use the Weed-be-Gone, and where to spray it.  My son is a smart boy, so he listens to the instructions and agrees to do exactly what I told him.

The next day, I go to work and leave my son a note, repeating the instructions from the day before.  My son goes out to kill the weeds, but instead of following my instructions, he decides on his own that there is a better, easier way to eradicate them.  Unbeknownst to me, he takes a bottle of bleach and rather than searching out the weeds, he sprays the entire yard.  Then the sun comes up, and the heat of the sun fries not just the weeds, but all the grass as well!   My boy didn’t mean to destroy the lawn, he just wanted to kill the weeds and reasoned that they would die faster if they were bleached; but he didn’t consider the possible consequences to the grass.  The problem is that he chose to do what seemed right to him, instead of following my instructions.

Consider what it would be like when I come home that evening and find that the whole yard has been destroyed.  My son is standing in front of me, remorseful and apologetic, and while I’m sure that I would be upset, how can I be angry with him – especially when he is so obviously sorry for doing wrong?  I’m the dad, I know that I’m to forgive if I want to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14), so I tell him that we’ll figure out what to do in the morning.

The next day, I go back to the home and garden store to buy a big bag of grass seed and a bag of fertilizer.  I tell my son that because he was the one who killed the lawn, he gets to spread the seed and fertilizer over the yard, which he does without complaint.  After all, he knows that he was wrong.  At the end of the day, the seed and fertilizer are spread and all is forgiven.

Over the course of several weeks the sun shines, the soft rain falls, and the grass begins to grow.  Unfortunately, so do the weeds.  Once again, I hand my son the bottle of Weed-be-Gone and give him detailed instructions on how and where to spray it.  My son tells me he learned from the last time and I send him out to do the job, confident that he truly learned his lesson.  However, my boy didn’t learn from past mistakes, and thinking that he’s doing what would please me, he bleaches the entire yard again!  My son knows better, because I told him precisely what to do, but he insists on doing things his own way.

How should I, his loving father, react to that?  Should I give my son a free pass, because he really is a good boy in most areas?  Should I give up trying to get my boy to do things my way, and just accept that he will not follow my instructions?  Maybe I should consider a stronger punishment than pushing the seed spreader across the yard.  Or maybe I should just tell you where I’m going with this analogy.

And Now For Something Completely Different…. Proper Worship

Our Heavenly Father has given us detailed, precise instructions regarding when and how He wants us, His loving children, to worship Him.  These instructions are found in the first five books of the Bible (the Torah), and the foremost commandment on worship – the Fourth Commandment – tells us when to worship:

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it set-apart (holy).

9 Six days shall you labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of YHWH your Elohim; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

11 For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore YHWH blessed the seventh day and made it set-apart (Exodus 20:8-11).

Our Heavenly Father tells us that it is the seventh day, not the first, that He set apart as special, as holy to Him.  The modern church teaches the Ten Commandments in every Sunday School class, but for some reason they fail to practice the very words that they tell their children to believe.  The church wants to continue in their traditions, worshiping the Father in ways that seem right to them.  Solomon tells us that “there is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

What does Yeshua say about worshiping our Heavenly Father in the traditions of men, and not the way that He tells us? “But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.  Neglecting the commandment of YHWH, you hold to the tradition of men” (Mark 7:7-8).  The Scriptures tell us that people who worship YHWH on the first day of the week are worshiping Him in vain; that is, their worship is not pleasing to Father YHWH!

The Word of YHWH tells us to avoid worshiping Him in ways that He did not tell us to.  Father YHWH tells us specifically how we are to worship Him: “You shall follow YHWH your Elohim and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him” (Deuteronomy 13:4) emphasis mine.  The Scriptures tell us “the statutes and the ordinances and the Law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear (worship) other gods.  The covenant I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.  But YHWH you Elohim you shall fear…” (2 Kings 17:37-39).

However; “they did not listen, but did according to their earlier custom.  So while these (people) feared YHWH, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day” (2 Kings 17:40-41).  The people mixed what was holy (worship of YHWH) with what was profane (idolatry).  It doesn’t matter whether they carved something out of wood or sacrificed a child, that’s not the point.  The point is that by celebrating pagan holidays and doing as the pagans do, the church is worshiping Father YHWH in an unacceptable and profane way. This does not please YHWH; He is not pleased when the modern church does this, and if the modern church continues to be in rebellion – let’s call it what it is: rebellion – they will suffer the consequences, much as my son would suffer consequences in the analogy that I used at the beginning of this article.

Correctly worshiping the Father does not end with the proper sabbath.  Christmas and Easter are also vain worship; nowhere in the Scriptures are we told to celebrate those days.  Our Father does, however, command us to keep the Feast of Passover.  He tells us that we must “celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you.  Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt” (Exodus 34:18).  We are not commanded to commemorate the birth of Yeshua, but we are commanded to commemorate the freedom of Israel from bondage to Egypt – which is a foreshadowing of our eventual freedom from bondage to sin; that freedom which was gained for us by Yeshua’s sustitutionary atonement for our sins.

Yeshua is the Old Testament, and the New Testament Also

The modern church would argue that they can worship the Father in a new way because the Tanach (Old Testament) does not apply to them, that it was written for the Jews.  The modern church would argue that the Tanach is unnecessary; that the Tanach has been done away with, that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross.  What do the Scriptures say about that?  Let us look to the New Testament; the Gospel of John:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Eloah (God), and the Word was Eloah (God).

2 He was with Eloah in the beginning.

3 Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and Truth (John 1:1-4,14).

Not even the modern church disputes that these verses are talking about Yeshua HaMeshaich.  We know that the Word was with YHWH in the beginning; that the Word is YHWH, and that the Word, in the person of Yeshua HaMeshiach, came and lived with us.  Of course, this means that the Tanach (Old Testament), which is part of the Word of YHWH, is as much the person of Yeshua as the New Testament.

The modern church tells us that Jesus abolished the Old Testament and the Torah when He died on the cross.  At this point I would like to ask a practical question; did Yeshua HaMeshiach really die on the cross in order to abolish…. himself?!  Or did He die on the cross in order fulfill the Torah, like He said He would (Matthew 5:17)?

Please join me in prayer for all those in the modern church who do not know the Word of YHWH and believe that they are honoring the Father with sunday worship and their pagan holidays. Father YHWH please, in Your mercy, change the hearts of those in the modern church.  Please send the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to these people to help them to see the Truth of Your Word, and repent of their vain worship.  Please lead them to know You, and not the pale shadow of You that the modern church teaches.  As always, we ask not for ourselves, but for Your glory, and we ask that Your will be done.  In Yeshua’s strong name, I pray.  Amen.

The next day, while I was at work, the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) brought that conversation to mind, along with the very strong sense that I had done wrong to my friends.  The Ruach told me, in no uncertain terms, that I had sinned against this couple.  How had I sinned against them?  My unthinking remark had questioned their parenting skills.  I was convicted, and hard!

Father YHWH, in His mercy, sent the Ruach to tell me that the way this couple raised their child was none of my business, and that I had no reason to question the way they chose to teach their child.  I immediately confessed that sin, and prayed for forgiveness; but I was filled with a strong sense of urgency to confess to this couple, and ask their forgiveness as well.  As soon as I got home from work, I went straight to their house to confess and apologize.  They were very gracious, and the episode taught me a valuable and lasting lesson.

The lesson that I learned was; we need to be very careful of what we say to others, as well as how we say it!  It is very easy to unknowingly hurt or offend another person by what we say.  As easily as we can build up a person by the words we speak, we can just as easily use words to tear them down.  Are our words really that powerful?  Let’s see what the Scriptures have to say:

2 For we all stumble in many ways.  If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

3 Now if we put the bits into the horse’s mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.

4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.

5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.  See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by Sheol.

7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.

8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our Adonai and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of Elohim;

10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not be this way. (James 3:2-10)

How do Your Words Affect Others?

Do the words we speak have a direct impact on others?  The Scriptures tell us that the answer is, YES!  The emissary James tells us that the tongue is a restless evil that is full of deadly poison.  Man can tame the beasts of the field, and the creatures of the sea, but he cannot tame his tongue.  It doesn’t take much; just one or two ill-placed and unthinking words and you have gossiped, slandered, criticized, started a rumor… and in the process you have not only hurt or offended someone, but you have also eroded a portion of your character.  Taming our tongues takes effort – a conscious, daily, minute-by-minute effort – to think before we  speak.

We must always be aware of what we say and how we say it. Otherwise, we run the risk of unknowingly (or even worse, knowingly) hurting or offending others. Solomon tells us in the Book of Proverbs that “a fool’s lips bring strife, and his mouth calls for blows.  A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul” (Proverbs 18:6-7).   Words spoken rashly can cause all kinds of contention and strife among others; such words are “like the thrusts of a sword” (Proverbs 12:18), and harsh words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

Still, your words can calm tensions; a gentle answer turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1).  By remaining calm and not raising your voice, you can avoid needless quarrels and friction.  Just as we can hurt others with our words, so we can also speak words that are soothing and beneficial;”…but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (Proverbs 16:24).  A soothing tongue is a tree of life (Proverbs 15:4), and a timely word is delightful (Proverbs 15:23).  Soothing and beneficial words can actually be health to our bones!

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:11-12), fully under stood how important it is to be careful with words.  He gave us specific instructions about what to say, what not to say, how to say it, and when to say it.  What we say, and the way we say it, affects not only the people we come into contact with every day, but also affects us, either positively or negatively.  And once we speak, we can’t take our words back! A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver (Proverbs 25:11 KJV).  These are the kinds of words we must be speaking: fitly spoken words.

A Time to be Silent, A Time to Speak

King Solomon showed us that there is a time for everything.  He instructs us that there is a time to keep silent, and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7).  When is the right time to speak?  Is the right time as soon as the words come to us, or should we think about them first?  Again, let us search the Word of YHWH. “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?  There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20).  Also, “the heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things” (Proverbs 15:28).  James reminds us of that which we should already know; “This you know, my brethren.  But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19).

Still, I believe that there is much more than praise and worship of YHWH that causes a person to be after our Heavenly Father’s heart.  The prophet Samuel asks this question; “…Has YHWH as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of YHWH?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).  So, if the prophet Samuel tells us that worship is not what most delights Father YHWH, that what can a person do that will make them after YHWH’s own heart?

I have made this case before: that the way a person shows their love for Father YHWH and Yeshua HaMeshiach is to be obedient to the Word of YHWH.  However, at that point I did not answer the question of what it means to be after YHWH’s own heart, and so I will attempt to answer it now.  Please understand, I do not claim to be an expert; I am merely looking at the Scriptures and applying a practical application of the Word.

The short answer to the question is found in the book of Acts.  The emissary Paul was speaking to the Jews in Pisidian Antioch, giving a history lesson and making the case that Yeshua HaMeshiach had fulfilled the Law, when he spoke the words that have been puzzling believers ever since.  Paul stated;” … He (YHWH) raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My  heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22).

The simple answer, then, to the question of what it means to be after YHWH’s own heart is: do YHWH’s will.  However, that is the simple answer; there is much more to doing the will of YHWH than we think.  Let us look at David’s life, to see if we can gather some clues as to what he believed, and what he did, that would cause YHWH to describe him as “after My own heart”.

The Qualities of David

Was David a man of status before he became the king of Israel? No, he was a shepherd, a musician, a warrior, a poet.  Was he sinless?  Of course not; the Scriptures tell us that no one other than Yeshua HaMeshiach lived a sinless life. In fact, the Scriptures give many seamy, gritty details of David’s life, and quickly dispel the idea that David was holy enough to be a man after God’s own heart.  So, if David was not holy enough, than how was he able to be “after YHWH’s own heart”?

We all know the obvious; the rules that YHWH laid down for His people to follow are written for us in the Torah.  It’s no surprise to us that David loved the Word of YHWH, or that he promised to keep YHWH’s righteous ordinances (Psalm 119:106).  In fact, the entire 119th Psalm is a testament to how much David loved the Law, studied the Law, meditated on the Law, and kept the Law.  He also instructed his son, Solomon, the future king of Israel, to be obedient to the Word of YHWH (1 Kings 2:3).

David lived the Law; what he wrote in Psalm 119 wasn’t just lip service.  David also wrote;

22 For I have kept the ways of YHWH, and have not acted wickedly against my Elohim.

23 For all His ordinances were before me; and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

24 I was also blameless toward Him, and I kept myself from  my iniquity. (2 Samuel 22:22-24)

Still, there are specific characteristics that Father YHWH wants from His people.  The prophet Micah gives a clue as to the attributes that YHWH is looking for in His followers.  Micah wrote; “He (YHWH) has told you, O man, what is good; and what does YHWH require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your Elohim?” (Micah 6:8)

King David had all of those qualities.  2nd Samuel, chapters 18 through 29 relate how David was humble, and gave glory to YHWH in the face of personal strife as well as personal accomplishment.  David loved mercy, as well.  He was merciful to King Saul, sparing the king’s life twice; as related in 1 Samuel 24:4-6 and 1 Samuel 26:7-11.  Remember, these events occurred when Saul was seeking to kill David.  David could have killed Saul in self-defense – in fact, on both occasions the men with David urged him to kill the king.  Still, David loved YHWH enough to have mercy on the man that was trying to kill him, yet was whom YHWH had anointed king.

Another quality that David had in abundance, and that the modern church is sorely lacking, was the ability to accept responsibility for his sins, and to accept YHWH’s judgment upon him. After David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and had her husband killed in battle, the prophet Nathan confronted David with those sins.  David did not try to excuse his behavior, place the blame on another person, or call the prophet “judgmental”.  David admitted his sins, and also admitted that he had sinned against YHWH (2 Samuel 12:13).

Later, David sinned again when he instituted a census of the nation of Israel.  This time, he was confronted by his own conscience; but rather than excuse away his sinful act, treat himself to something nice in order to feel better about himself, or try to ignore the pangs of his heart, David again confessed his sin before YHWH (2 Samuel 24:10,17).  As before, when confronted with his sins against Uriah the Hittite, David confessed with a contrite heart; and he repented of his sins.

Many people in the modern church are up in arms against anyone that even tries to point out error in the church-goers’ lives.  They do not want to hear that they are sinning, let alone accept the rebuke with repentance and humility before YHWH.

To summarize, the way to be like David, “after YHWH’s own heart”, is this: we should live as set-apart (holy) a life as we can; and we can live a very holy life with the Ruach HaKodesh’s (Holy Spirit’s) help. We should read and meditate daily on the Word of YHWH, and we should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). All that is excellent, yet, if we really want to be after YHWH’s own heart, we must do what He says. We need to obey all of the Word (the Law), and repent of our sins when we transgress the Law. It’s not always easy, it’s not always fun, and it’s often without reward or recognition but really, who are we trying to please: ourselves, or YHWH?

Please join me in earnest prayer for all those who diligently seek to be after YHWH’s own heart, that they are willing to do that which our Heavenly Father tells us (in His Word) that He wants us to do, that they repent of their sins those times that they fail; and that they draw comfort from the knowledge that the Father will draw near to all those who first seek to draw near to Him (James 4:8).