In the book of Prince Macchiavelli, the reader is taught the principles of war and that among men, to be feared is better than to be loved. But within the Gospel, disciples of Yeshua are taught that we are to fear no man, and are to both love and fear the Creator.
If you prescribe to the culture in the world of man, you most certainly will apply the understanding of Prince Macchiavelli’s war strategies.
Essentially revealed by duality: hate versus love, strength over weakness, cunning over wisdom, power over humility, advantage over justice, it stresses military superiority over benign rule. This writing has been a playbook for people like the Caesar of Rome, Genghis Khan, Stalin, Hitler and other despots, too many to name.
But the scripture states that we must love the the Celestial Heavenly Father, which is the the Creator of all things, with all your might as well as to seek what is good. It states to love all men as you would love yourself: meaning a compassionate and conscientious regard for all persons as you would have regard for your own selves. Through the Apostles exemplified even the corrupted Christian Bible, it is written we must seek an absolute and necessary devotion to the Creator. Yeshua came to complete the long standing covenant between man and the Heavenly Father and His Set Apart Spirit, the Ruach Ha qa dosh, who in His goodness, first loved us.
So if the Heavenly Parent, the Creator of the Universe is loving and good, what have we as man, collectively to fear?
The short answer if we are also like Him, who is good, is nothing. But what person on earth can be called good? In the scriptures, Yeshua speaks saying ‘ Why do you call me good?’. But He was not saying that He was not good. He was asking the disciples to realize that they had discerned inwardly He, the Son of the Living Father was on the same as the Heavenly Father who is good.
Then he added ‘Call no man good. For only the Father, which is in Heaven, is good.’ He must have had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye when He said this... For He was implying to the Apostles who were his disciples that they had figured out subconsciously that He was the veritable Father and that is why they were calling Him good!
Additionally, many words such as ‘fear’ in the Christian Bible are translations of the Hebrew scripture from Greek, Aramaic and other cultural mixes. Suffice to say when the Gospel was being disseminated throughout the world, some Hebrew words were difficult to properly transcribe and place in the correct context. Yet some were deliberately transcribed inaccurately to mislead, hence the publication of the New Testament proffered by the universal catholic 'church'!
Learning from the spirit of truth and not the error, the first thing you will be compelled to learn is that you absolutely MUST find the correct translations of certain sayings. This will apply most importantly if they are impossible to discern in the Christian vernacular and if they are difficult to understand as a non-Jew. It is important to do this by simply applying its correct Hebrew context. This is precisely why it is folly to espouse divisive Christian doctrines that reject the origin of the Gospels, the Torah! For the culture, ancient language and covenant of Yeshua with the Jewish people are the keys to the confirmation of truth of all set apart scripture!
The second thing you will learn is that as you become more zealous for Yeshua and knowing and revering His ways, your insight and discernment for your understanding of the Word of Yeshua will become sharp and polished, like a two-edged sword.
So, does one need to learn Hebrew to know the Word of Yeshua? Most certainly, if you want to discern the length and breadth of the true origins of the corrupted Christian scriptures as they flowed out to the nations being transliterated from the original Hebrew Torah. Jewish scholars themselves spend years in ‘shul’ learning the interpretation of the Torah because the Torah itself has been orally passed down through the ages in somewhat of a difficult to understand context of old and new Hebraic language. So for to minister to others a correct and sanctified interpretation requires a proper discernment of the sayings in the oral tradition of the old language. And, the reality is that this oral tradition has passed down through centuries, enduring all manner of syncretic cultural influences including persian, greek, egyptian, indonesian and even european interpolations, corruptions of the truth if you will.
For the most part, the scriptures should be straightforward, that is......until you become an engaged and serious student of Yeshua. Then you will discover what was told has many layers.
For now, let us refrain from jumping into a scholarly engagement of scripture. Instead let us focus strictly on the words ‘fear of the Creator’.
This fear spoken about actually comes from a centuries old, ancient Judean maxim ‘ ‘No man can see the Mighty One and live.’ In fact, there are many stories in the Old and New Testament that suggest the idea that unlike Abraham, Enoch, Elijah or Moses, most unrighteous men, not fully sanctified or prepared, when coming in direct contact with or in confrontation with the Presence of the Living Father fell down, dead. This was not because they did something wrong and the Father punished them! This is because it was observed that Elohim is set apart and does not withstand impurity, sin and darkness. For it was understood that NO man has seen the Living Spirit and survived.
Coupled with the recognition of the supernatural power and might wielded by the Spirit, descriptions placing the level of His energetic Being ARE far above what an unrighteous man, a mere mortal with no fellowship with the Living Father, being under a curse, can endure.
So, with this understanding it is easy to see that the ancient Hebrews regarded the power and presence of the Living Father as definitely fearsome.
However, there is another interpretation in the Jewish understanding for the word ‘fear’. It actually is understood in the Hebraic context as a deep reverence mixed with awe for all things set apart referring to the Heavenly Father. It means that in His Presence, we are to maintain a careful respect not just for Him but all things that are sanctified by Him. It means being careful not to step out of bounds with His sheer and utterly Hallowed Spirit nor offend in anyway the Presence of the All Pure, Infinite and Transcendent Creator Being. It conveys a deep respect for the Living Father and a deep humility in ourselves recognizing our own limitations, our imperfections and our unworthiness.
Some may ask ‘Well if we come from this Creator Being, aren’t we not also pure, infinite and transcendent?’
The immediate and short answer is that we were. But we lost that status when Adam was expelled: from the Garden of Eden. Rebellious angels knew that they would have no power over the Living Father's creation or man, unless they were able to subvert and control our free will. We were snared into a trap of deception into following their 'ideas'.
We have a long road both behind us and ahead of us to return to our ‘bright’ natures, that which we lost that initially kept us in close intimacy and proximity to the Creator before the alleged curse. The story of man’s sojourn from the Creator has both tragedy and joy mixed in it.
The story of the Torah, the Bible and other connected Spirit breathed teachings such as the revelatory Dead Sea Scrolls is the making of a grand story of redemption, or the return to our bright natures and intimate fellowship with the Creator through covenant. The joyful part, the good news is that the Creator provided a way for man to return to this relationship unhampered by restrictions, trouble and freedom from trembling fear.
‘How?’, you might ask if the scripture says we were forever cut off from that splendid place and existence and Presence of the Elohim?
Well, the answer is in the very presence, life and reception of Yeshua!
HE, the perfect human manifestation of the Transcendent Elohim came to US! And HE came, through Yeshua, the Mashiach that whosoever might receive Him might also receive life everlasting! To love and fear Yeshua is the beginning of an understanding that few have in this world.
Reflect for a moment on all you have read. What do you think?
Can YOU receive it?