Absolutely, we are saved by faith and grace, and it is a magnificent gift!! But ‘being saved’ is the starting line, not the finish line. That’s where James comes into play. James 2:14, 17
My brothers, what use is it for anyone to say he has belief but does not have works? This belief is unable to save him. So also belief, if it does not have works, is in itself dead.
What are these works that he is speaking of? Our Savior and Messiah answers that question. These are direct quotes of Jesus [Yahusha in transliterated Hebrew]
Matthew 5 Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
When Yahusha says “complete or fulfill” in verse 17, He does not mean abolish or do away with. He specifically tells us so. If heaven and earth have not yet passed away, then not a single penstroke of the Torah/Old Testament Law has changed, otherwise our Messiah is a liar [not possible]. What that means is it is His purpose to live a life of honoring and obeying His Father’s instructions/commands. Being successful in this, He overcame death and has the authority to forgive us of our own sin.
More direct quotes of Yahusha/Messiah/Jesus:
Matthew 7 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’
John 14:15 “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.” John 14:21 “He who possesses My commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 15:10 “If you guard My commands, you shall stay in My love even as I have guarded My Father’s commands and stay in His love.”
Matthew 19:16-17 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “…But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
It is QUITE CLEAR that Messiah valued and kept the commands of the Father… AND …He expects us to value and keep the commands of the Father, to the best of our ability. I was taught my whole life that the law is a burden and a curse, and that we cannot keep it: Scripture says otherwise— 1John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Yahuah and keep His commandments. For this is the love of Him, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Psalms 19 The Torah of יהוה is perfect, bringing back the being; The witness of יהוה is trustworthy, making wise the simple; The orders of יהוה are straight, rejoicing the heart; The command of יהוה is clear, enlightening the eyes;
Next up, we are given these warnings in scripture — AFTER the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of our Messiah:
Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering for sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents. Anyone who has disregarded the Torah of Mosheh dies without compassion on the witness of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour? For we know Him who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay, says יהוה.” And again, “יהוה shall judge His people.” It is fearsome to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.
This tells us that if we continue to walk in sin after coming to a knowledge of the truth, the sacrifice of Jesus no longer covers us. These are scary words. In order to heed them, we must know what sin is. We are told in 1John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4 KJV
The Word defines sin as a transgression of God’s Old Testament law, the Torah. Mainstream Christianity has been teaching for centuries that the law is nailed to the cross and no longer applicable. Careful study of Paul’s writings tells us not that the law is nailed to the cross, but that the consequences [death] of transgression of the law is nailed to the cross. He is describing forgiveness. He is describing that our Messiah and Savior is able to forgive us the death that we deserve.
Here is another warning: 1John 2:3-6 And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands. The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.
We are told that anyone who does not try to keep the law does not know truth and does not know Jesus our Savior. Not my words, but the words of the Apostle John. He tells us that we are to walk as Jesus walked. What does that entail? Keeping the instructions of the Father. That is how Yahusha walked and lived His life. Obeying the Word of His Father, and we are told by John the Apostle to do the same — walk just as He walked.
Perfection is not the standard. I’m not talking about legalism. A desire to keep the law to the best of our ability is the standard.
If you find these ideas interesting, new, or even offensive – please pray about it according to James 1:5-8.
Do you know Messiah’s Voice? If the direct quotes of Jesus above are different than what you think, believe, and live [doctrine] – then please spend some time reading the red letters — the very words of our Savior. Know His Voice. Know His Character. Know how He lived and why.
I have been discussing “day start” concept with some friends recently. This post is an email response I sent, addressing why we observe a morning day start, instead of an evening day start.
Lots of info to consider here:
I appreciate you taking a look at this day start idea. Just to say it again, we do not have an agenda to change your minds. This is an idea that we were very opposed to when it was presented to us. We ended up looking at it closely, and chose to observe it as we found it to make sense and to be supported by scripture. Observing morning day start puts us in a very small minority within Torah community. Our goal is to shed religious ideas and do what we see in scripture, so we observe morning day start with a clear conscience. We do not say others are wrong, and we do not even try to tell people that we are right. We simply observe what we see in scripture. We appreciate any feedback you have to offer, as it may cause us to evaluate something we’ve not looked at so far…
Before I start looking at the information you provided, let’s consider the topic of developing doctrine with out of context bits and pieces of scripture strung together… The mainstream Christian church teaches that the law is done away with. Why do they believe this, and teach it to others? Is it because they simply made it up? We could go into practically any church and ask them to show proof that the law is done away with. They will pop open their bible and start pointing out bits and pieces of Paul’s writings taken out of context. They will weave a story and a concept that seems to make sense. Will we believe their story and their concept, supported by fragments of scriptures? No, because we have put in the effort to study the foundation of scripture, that being the Torah. We have made the decision to believe that what Yah said is forever, is literally forever. We have decided that if Yah says something is for all generations, everlasting, and a perpetual covenant, that it truly is. With that basis of truth established with a strong foundation, we can now read Paul’s letters in the context of established truth. We are not swayed by out of context half-verses and made up doctrine that does not match the very words of Yah. I have approached the study of day start, and Sabbath, using this same approach. In hermeneutics, the study of scripture, there is a concept of first-mention or first use of a word or concept.
The First Mention Principle: “Yah indicates in the first mention of a subject the truth with which that subject stands connected in the mind of Yah.”
Basically, this says that first mention of an idea, concept, or word is given more weight than other uses of the same idea, concept, or word in scripture.
Tracy and I spent a great deal of time looking at bits and pieces of scripture that seem to relate to day start, or defining the Sabbath. At first, we rejected many of the arguments for morning day start. We had a bias that the Hebrew day started in the evening. That is what we had been observing for about three years. It is what most people hear of and do in Torah community, and we adopted that idea without truly studying it. And when we did go to study it, we did so with an “evening-start-bias”. There were certain verses that made us say, “See, that proves evening day start.” But did those verses truly prove such a thing, or did our bias cause us to think so?
After much study and debate, I realized the only way I could truly study the idea was to wipe the slate clean, and evaluate scripture for what it actually says, without adding any bias (either intentionally or unintentionally). The way I accomplished this was to look at any given idea from both a morning start perspective and from an evening start perspective. This helped a great deal. For example, Deuteronomy 24:14-15 says this:
14“Do not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, of your brothers or of your strangers who are in your land within your gates.
15“Give him his wages on the same day, and do not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and lifts up his being to it, so that he does not cry out against you to יהוה, and it shall be sin in you.
People will say this proves evening day start. But how do we look at this without bias? #1 Is this narrative speaking about defining a day, or defining a Sabbath? No, the context is about paying a man his wages quickly, especially if he is poor and needs his daily wages in order to eat, or feed his family, etc. Do not withhold his wages and cause him to go hungry, or to go without lodging, etc.
Many people, though, use this verse to adamantly proclaim it proves evening day start. So how did I study this idea without bias? I graphed out a work day and paying a man his wages at the end of the day, both with morning start and evening start. What do we find?
In these two examples, we find that Deuteronomy 24 works for both morning day start and evening day start. The context of the command, which is to pay a man quickly so he can eat and have lodging, is accomplished in both examples. When approached with critical thinking and without bias, we find these two things: #1 This passage is about paying a man, not about defining a day. #2 We should not use this verse to define a day, since that is not its purpose nor its context. #3 Even if we do try to use this verse to define a day, it works in both scenarios, therefore it is inconclusive.
#4 Since it is inconclusive, it cannot be used to support either side of the argument, and must be thrown out of the discussion.
There are many passages in scripture that people use to “Prove” either evening day start or morning day start. If those verses are not about defining a day, then using them to do so is taking them out of context. Often times, such examples only support one or the other argument if one already has a personal bias. Sometimes these types of passages are used as proof for both concepts!!
Now, returning to the concept of first mention…
If we wish to define a day cycle or when Shabbat begins and ends, where should we go? Shall we glean a bunch of verses scattered throughout scripture, taking them out of context, to prove our biased perspective? Or should we go to first mention, and use it as a foundation and build from there?
After months of in depth study, and considering a number of scripture narratives, I decided to go to first mention which is Genesis 1. We know that a day consists of a time period that is just shy of 24 hours. Each day cycle consists of some primary components, in no particular order:
Sun at peak (high noon in Roman terms)
Night
Twilight (erev) before dawn
Evening
Sunset
Dawn Morning Twilight (erev) after sunset
No matter where we begin and end our day, it will contain these ingredients. Our discussion is based on these two ideas:
If we go back to the first mention, Genesis 1, what do we find? What are we told about “Day One”?
1In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.
2And the earth came to be formless and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was moving on the face of the waters.
3And Elohim said, “Let light come to be,” and light came to be.
4And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim separated the light from the darkness.
5And Elohim called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, one day.
What does this look like on a timeline?
This narrative does not show us all of the “ingredients” of a day, but it does give us some information. #1 Creation work is completed #2 And then there came to be evening #3 And then there came to be morning #4 This is called Day One
In this narrative, we find that Day One ends with morning. What happens next? We see this cycle continue to be established on Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, etc.
6And Elohim said, “Let an expanse come to be in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
7And Elohim made the expanse, and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it came to be so.
8And Elohim called the expanse ‘heavens.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the second day.
Day Two on a timeline: After the end of Day One at morning, Yah begins His Day Two creation work:
#1 After Day One ends at morning, Day Two begins. #2 Yah completes His creation works on Day Two #3 And then there came to be evening #4 And then there came to be morning #5 This is called Day Two
Next we see Day Three occur:
9And Elohim said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it came to be so.
10And Elohim called the dry land ‘earth,’ and the collection of the waters He called ‘seas.’ And Elohim saw that it was good.
11And Elohim said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the plant that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth.” And it came to be so.
12And the earth brought forth grass, the plant that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good.
13And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the third day.
#1 After Day Two ends at morning, Day Three begins. #2 Yah completes His creation works on Day Three #3 And then there came to be evening #4 And then there came to be morning #5 This is called Day Three
Next we see Day Four occur:
14And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed times, and for days and years,
15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it came to be so.
16And Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars.
17And Elohim set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.
19And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the fourth day.
#1 After Day Three ends at morning, Day Four begins. #2 Yah completes His creation works on Day Four #3 And then there came to be evening #4 And then there came to be morning #5 This is called Day Four
Next we see Day Five occur:
20And Elohim said, “Let the waters teem with shoals of living beings, and let birds fly above the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.”
21And Elohim created great sea creatures and every living being that moves, with which the waters teemed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good.
22And Elohim blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and increase, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”
23And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the fifth day.
#1 After Day Four ends at morning, Day Five begins. #2 Yah completes His creation works on Day Five #3 And then there came to be evening #4 And then there came to be morning #5 This is called Day Five
Next we see Day Six occur:
24And Elohim said, “Let the earth bring forth the living being according to its kind: livestock and creeping creatures and beasts of the earth, according to its kind.” And it came to be so.
25And Elohim made the beast of the earth according to its kind, livestock according to its kind, and all that creep on the earth according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good.
26And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the ground.”
27And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them.
28And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, “Be fruitful and increase, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over all creeping creatures on the earth.”
29And Elohim said, “See, I have given you every plant that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed, to you it is for food.
30And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to every creeping creature on the earth, in which there is a living being, every green plant is for food.” And it came to be so.
31And Elohim saw all that He had made, and see, it was very good. And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the sixth day.
#1 After Day Five ends at morning, Day Six begins. #2 Yah completes His creation works on Day Six #3 And then there came to be evening #4 And then there came to be morning #5 This is called Day Six
In Genesis chapter 2, we see that He set apart day seven: 1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array.
2And in the seventh day Elohim completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
3And Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.
4These are the births of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that יהוה Elohim made earth and heavens.
In the study of day start, I decided to begin in the beginning, where the days are described for us. This should in fact be our foundation for what a day is, and then the remainder of scripture should be understood according to the first mention, the foundation given in Torah. As such, we have chosen to observe morning day start for the last couple of years.
I have spent time mapping out a timeline of other events in the bible, and so far, they all work better with a morning day start. For example, Yom Kippur will violate scripture if it is observed evening to evening using an evening day start. However, it can be fulfilled according to scripture observing it evening to evening using a day start. Here are the timelines to compare:
In this example of evening day start, we need to adhere to the following details in scripture: #1 Verse 27 — tenth day of seventh chodesh #2 Verse 28 — on the same day
#3 Verse 30 — on the same day
#4 Verse 32 — Begins 9th day at evening, ends then next evening on the tenth day
As we see from the timeline map, this cannot be achieved. If we observe one Shabbat, the moed ends before the tenth day, so verse 27 is violated. If we observe it for two days to include the tenth day, then verses 28 & 30 are violated.
In this example of morning day start, we need to adhere to the following details in scripture: #1 Verse 27 — tenth day of seventh chodesh #2 Verse 28 — on the same day
#3 Verse 30 — on the same day
#4 Verse 32 — Begins 9th day at evening, ends then next evening on the tenth day
As we see from the timeline map, all details regarding Yom Kippur can be observed without violating any of the facts given.
Now let’s take a look at Luke. 50And see, a man named Yosĕph, a council member, a good and righteous man –
51he was not agreeing with their counsel and deed – from Ramathayim, a city of the Yehuḏim, who himself was also waiting for the reign of Elohim,
52he, going to Pilate, asked for the body of יהושע.
53And taking it down, he wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb hewn out of the rock, where no one was yet laid.
54And it was Preparation day, and the Sabbath was approaching.
55And the women who had come with Him from Galil followed after, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
56And having returned, they prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the command.
Before we dig into the account of Yoseph taking care of Yeshua’s body, let’s look at Yeshua’s death. Luke 23:44-46 tells us this: 44And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land, until the ninth hour.
45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the Dwelling Place was torn in two.
46And crying out with a loud voice, יהושע said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last.
This is very telling. We learn that Yeshua died and the sun was darkened from the 6th hour of the day until the 9th hour of the day. If day begins at evening, then this would have occurred in the middle of the night, when the sun is not out. Sunset occurs just before 7pm in Jerusalem in Spring time. The 6th hour would then be 1:00am, and the 9th hour would be 4:00am. The sun would not be out during this timeframe, and invalidates the details given in the gospel of Luke. If we go with a morning day start, sunrise occurs at 6:30am in Jerusalem in the Spring. This would make the 6th hour at about 12:30pm, and the 9th hour at 3:30pm. This confirms the account of Luke.
As for Yoseph asking for Yeshua’s body… #1 This narrative has a context of taking Yeshua’s body to His tomb. #2 This narrative does not have a context of defining a day, or defining Shabbat. #3 In my humble opinion, the day cycle and Shabbat have already been established in the foundation of Torah, in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. If this is the case, we cannot violate Torah by creating a different doctrine using the gospel of Luke.
Let’s take a look at Luke 23 without pre-assumed bias. What do we know? #1 Yoseph asks Pilate for the body of Yeshua #2 He wrapped His body and placed it in the tomb #3 It was preparation day (this is true, as Yeshua was killed on Pesach, which would be a preparation day for the First Day of Unleavened Bread, which is a Sabbath. #4 The Sabbath was approaching #5 Women saw Yeshua in the tomb #6 They prepared spices and perfumes. #7 They then rested on the Sabbath.
Let’s look at this from an evening day start perspective: Yoseph went to Pilate just after approximately 4:00am to retrieve Yeshua’s body, wanting to place Him in the tomb before Shabbat, which was still 15 hours away. This does not require urgency to complete before dark.
Let’s look at this from a morning day start perspective: Yoseph went to Pilate at approximately 4:00pm to retrieve Yeshua’s body, wanting to place Him in the tomb before Shabbat. Beginning of Shabbat is still 15 hours away, with a morning day start. However, at 4:00pm, Yoseph only has about three hours of daylight to retrieve Yeshua’s body, prepare it, transport it, and place Him in the tomb before dark. It makes sense that Yoseph would need to complete this task with daylight, and he only has three hours. If he did not complete it before dark, then he would have had to work in the dark, which is not preferred, or wait all night, all the next day, all the next night, and then proceed after the Sabbath.
Yes, Yoseph acted with urgency, and yes, Sabbath was approaching. But nothing in this story defines evening as the Sabbath start. That is simply an element added to the story by someone having a bias of evening day start prior to reading this story. I can understand why someone would make the assumption that Yoseph is trying to finish this task prior the Sabbath beginning at sundown, but it requires rejecting what Genesis 1 tells us, and it requires us to violate Yom Kippur. If we find something in scripture that “makes sense” but causes problems with what Torah says, then we need to study it more.
Some people say there is no way that Judah has been doing day start wrong for thousands of years. While this sounds like an acceptable assumption, it is still an assumption. If we look at it in more detail, I find this: Judah rejected and killed Messiah, and Judaism has continued to reject Messiah for 2000 years. If we cannot agree with or trust Judah regarding Messiah (which is really important) then why should we agree with and trust Judah regarding day start? If they are not current in major things, why trust them in smaller things? In addition, Jeremiah tells us that one day we will realize we have inherited nothing but lies. Could day start be one of those lies? I don’t see why not. Jeremiah did not say we’d inherit “some lies, and other things are accurate”. He literally said everything is a lie. Do we want to take it literally, or figuratively? Jeremiah 1:9 impacts my decision on this:
9Then יהוה put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and יהוה said to me, “See, I have put My words in your mouth.
Yah says He put His own words in Jeremiah’s mouth. With that said, I fully trust everything that Jeremiah said. If he said we have inherited lies, it is Yah saying so, not Jeremiah. That makes anything and everything suspect. How do we deal with it? I go to the scriptures, having cleared my mind, like a blank slate. I go to the scriptures without a predetermined bias for any given subject. I then do my best to evaluate what the scriptures say, without making any assumptions or speculating. If it says it, I believe it. If it does not say it, then I do not fill in the cracks with assumptions.
Looking at Yeshua’s tomb following the Sabbath: Mark 16:1-2 1And when the Sabbath was past, Miryam from Maḡdala, and Miryam the mother of Ya‛aqoḇ, and Shelomah bought spices, to go and anoint Him.
2And very early on day one of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. This passage states #1 It was after the Sabbath #2 It was early in the day, when the sun had risen —– This bit of scripture does not have a context of defining a day, nor defining Sabbath. This narrative works out for both morning day start and evening day start, so it is inconclusive in the evaluation of day start.
Matthew 28:1 1But late in the sabbath, as it was dawning into day one of the week, Miryam from Maḡdala and the other Miryam came to see the tomb. This passage tells us: #1 it was late in the Sabbath, as opposed to being after the Sabbath #2 as the dawn was beginning ——- This bit of scripture validates morning day start, as it does not indicate that Sabbath had ended the evening before, but that Sabbath was ending as the dawn was beginning.
Luke 24:1-2 1But on day one of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared,
2and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. This passage tells us: #1 At dawn of day one of the week —— This bit of scripture does not reference Sabbath, and simply tells us it was early morning at dawn. This verse is inconclusive regarding day start.
John 20:1 1And on day one of the week Miryam from Maḡdala came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. This passage tells us: #1 early on day one of the week #2 still dark ——- Taken by itself, it would say that day one began while still dark, which would oppose the idea of morning day start.
However, if we look at the four accounts, there are conflicts. In Mark, the Sabbath had passed, it was day one, and the sun had risen. The stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
In Matthew, it was still Sabbath, but late in the Sabbath, as it was dawning into day one of the week. The stone was not rolled back, but there was a great earthquake, for a messenger of יהוה came down out of heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
In Luke, it was already day one of the week, at early dawn, and the stone was rolled away.
In John, it was day one of the week, still dark, and the stone had been removed.
Is this simply an issue with four different witnesses writing about these things, from their own perspective, based on what they had heard from those who were there (second hand knowledge)? Is this an issue of translation errors over time? Here is my take on it: I wasn’t there, so I cannot sort out the differences. I can however, establish day start and Sabbath from first mention in Genesis, and not try to alter it with what appears to be sketchy information provided across four different accounts by four different authors who were not all eye witnesses themselves, in books written years apart, some decades after these events occurred. In stating this, I am not calling into question that scripture is divinely inspired or that it cannot be trusted.
I’m just saying we have four different accounts, none of them having a context related to defining day start or Sabbath, plus I wasn’t there — so I don’t know and any thoughts I develop from these four accounts is irrelevant since I was not there and do not know. I can however, take what is detailed in scripture when days and Sabbath are being defined, and believe it. I do not want to trump Genesis 1 and 2 with other accounts in scripture that are not even speaking about day start or Sabbath definition. We can use the details shown in other accounts to think and consider, but we cannot confirm doctrine based on pre-assumed bias, and by adding assumptions to unrelated scriptures. This is what happens when Christians “prove” the law is done away with. They take bits and pieces of scripture, say they prove the law is done away with when they are out of context with the original conversation, requires ignoring volumes of other evidence in the scriptures, and even requires ignoring the very words of Yah.
This day start study is very difficult. It is hard to evaluate verses that seem to confirm what we already think, when that isn’t even the topic or context of those verses. No, they should not be ignored. They should be studied, not in isolation, but as a whole of scripture. For example, you gave some references to Nehemiah:
14Remember me, O my Elohim, concerning this, and do not wipe out my loving-commitments that I have done for the House of my Elohim, and for its charges!
15In those days I saw in Yehuḏah those treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Yerushalayim on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day they sold food.
16And men of Tsor dwelt there, bringing in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Yehuḏah, and in Yerushalayim.
17Then I contended with the nobles of Yehuḏah, and said to them, “What evil matter is this that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
18“Did not your fathers do the same so that our Elohim brought all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Yisra’ĕl by profaning the Sabbath.”
19And it came to be, when the gates of Yerushalayim were shaded before the Sabbath, that I commanded the doors to be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20And the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares spent the night outside Yerushalayim once or twice,
21and I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.
22And I commanded the Lĕwites that they should cleanse themselves, and they should come, guarding the gates, to set apart the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my Elohim, concerning this also, and pardon me according to the greatness of Your loving-commitment!
What does he witness? –Yehudah profaning the Sabbath by doing much work. –They bring them into Jerusalem on Sabbath. –Men of Tsor also bring goods to sell on the Sabbath. –Nehemiah confronts the leaders of Yehudah, regarding profaning the Sabbath. –Nehemiah closes the city gates prior to Sabbath –Vendors camp outside the walls a few times, until they are told not to anymore.
Many people say this narrative proves the Sabbath begins at sunset. I have found a couple issues with this idea. #1 – This narrative is not about defining day start or defining Sabbath. #2 – It says he shuts the gates prior to Sabbath, so they cannot set up their wares.
We can make assumptions that Sabbath starts at sundown, but consider this: What if they came in the evening the day before Sabbath to set up their wares, to sell on the Sabbath day the next day? If they had to travel, it makes sense they would do so the day before, get set up, and then sell in the market place during the day the next day. This scenario could be assumed just as easily as making an assumption that they are wanting to set up and sell on a Sabbath beginning at evening. But in their time and culture, does that even make sense? They had no electricity, no lights. Markets were active during day time, not in the dark. But again, I was not there. And since I was not there, I cannot make any assumptions, either that they were wanting to set up for an evening sell on the Sabbath, or they were wanting to set up in the evening to be ready to sell in the morning on the Sabbath.
This is one of those scenarios where we have to make some assumptions one way or the other to develop doctrine from this passage. And if we do make assumptions, what if they violate Genesis 1 or the execution of Yom Kippur?? Should we do it still?
And about Deuteronomy… Deuteronomy 21:18-21 is irrelevant to the discussion. There are no time markers mentioned in this narrative about a rebellious and wayward son that is put to death. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 goes on to speak of this type of scenario in more general terms. If a man is put to death, hang him on a tree. Take him down before night, and bury him the same day.
Let’s graph this idea out for both morning day start and evening day start:
From this graphical representation, we can see Deuteronomy 21:22-23 can be obeyed in both day start methods. That This scenario can be obeyed for both morning and evening day start. That makes this passage of scripture inconclusive and not valid in the debate. There are many instances like this where people think a passage proves their version of day start. Is it because it is proof, or is it because they have a pre-determined bias and it seems to fit what they already believe? In this instance (and in paying a man his wages) we find it is simply bias. There is no proof either way in those examples, and must not be used as “proof”.
Well, I ended up spending about five hours on this today. I had some things to get done, and did not get started yet. But what is more important than studying the word? Nothing, right? I welcome your input after you’ve had a chance to evaluate some of these things I’ve put together today. May Yah bless you, no matter where you land on this idea!!
For some reason, I have been unable to post to my blog for the last year or so… I’ve written articles, but they will not publish. Testing again today to see what happens…
Many of us have come out of Christianity and are learning Torah. We are learning the Words and the Ways of the Father. This is a good thing. It seems that we wiped our slates clean and started over in our knowledge and our doctrine. Again, this is a good thing. But now it is time to return to New Testament study, and to understand and apply it in accordance with what we learned in Torah.
If I speak with the tongues of men and of messengers, but do not have love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all belief, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am none at all. And if I give out all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I am not profited at all. Love is patient, is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not seek its own, is not provoked, reckons not the evil, does not rejoice over the unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, it covers all, believes all, expects all, endures all. Love never fails. And whether there be prophecies, they shall be inactive; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be inactive. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be inactive. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child. But when I became a man, I did away with childish matters. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, as I also have been known. And now belief, expectation, and love remain – these three. But the greatest of these is love. Qorintiyim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 13:1
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no Torah. And those who are of Messiah have impaled the flesh with its passions and the desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatiyim (Galatians) 5
It is time to embrace these scriptures again, but building upon the foundation of Torah instead faulty mainstream Christian doctrine.
As I said yesterday, there is a great deal of rotten fruit in Torah community, all in the name of chasing after the truth. Yes, please continue seeking truth in study and prayer, but without the bad fruit of arguments and fighting, dividing from fellowship, rejection of family and friends, unfriending and blocking.
If someone has gone down a wonky path, show them what you have learned in scripture. But don’t try to force it on them. If they don’t “get it” pray for them and continue to be kind. Don’t allow bad fruit to be what you see when you look on the path behind you.
“So then, by their fruits you shall know them – Mattithyahu (Matthew) 7:20
Have you evaluated your fruit? Will people know you belong to Messiah by the way you treat them?
Do you argue and debate the Word, expecting others to believe as you do? Or do you share what you’ve learned and let others consider it, without trying to decide for them? Do you get frustrated or even angry because someone doesn’t adopt your way of thinking? Do you cut people out of your life in real life? Do you unfriend and block people on social media?
I could go on and on. It took me a long time to learn this lesson, and I’m hoping others will as well.
Please check your fruit. There is a lot of rotten fruit in Torah community. And I humbly apologize to anyone if I’ve showed you bad fruit over the last several years.
Yes, truth is truth. Don’t compromise what you read in scripture. But don’t leave a path of rotten fruit because of it.
Words of Messiah: “Therefore, whatever you wish men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets.” Mattithyahu (Matthew) 7:12 TS2009 https://bible.com/bible/316/mat.7.12.TS2009
“So then, by their fruits you shall know them – Mattithyahu (Matthew) 7:20 TS2009 https://bible.com/bible/316/mat.7.20.TS2009
“A renewed command I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this shall all know that you are My taught ones, if you have love for one another.” Yoḥanan (John) 13:34-35 TS2009 https://bible.com/bible/316/jhn.13.34-35.TS2009
During the course of four years in Torah, I have listened to
many teachers.
There are wonderful resources available to us, and today’s technology makes
these resources available around the world instantaneously.
We live in a time of great blessing.
I have learned that some teachers are better than others – not because they
agree with my thoughts, but because they teach what the Scriptures tell us.
I have also learned that not a single teacher has everything right, myself included.
With this idea in mind, I have a few thoughts to share, as well as a few bible verses that are applicable. #1 As I have stated numerous times in my various blog articles, do not believe anything I say. Ever. I have no desire for anyone to believe what I write here, simply because I studied it and wrote about it. Use what I have presented as a resource and study it for yourselves. Let the Word that is written settle the matter for you. Let the inspired Word of Yehova be your authority. Allow Yeshua Messiah, the Word become flesh, to be your authority. I may present an idea or a topic as a catalyst, but don’t stop there. As Zach Bauer likes to say, “Go home and read your bible.”
#2 Following up with #1, don’t accept any man’s word as truth. Yes, we can develop trust in certain teachers. Yes, we can value the teaching of others. But no, we should not believe everything anyone says, no matter what and without question. Trust but verify.
#3 It is not rebellious or sinful to study the Word, even if another teacher has already done so. If a teacher tells you not to study the Word on your own, be wary. Confirming in the Word should be encouraged, as scripture dictates that is what we are to do (supporting verses to follow below). Unfortunately, this becomes a mine field at times since there are teachers who do not teach the truth, whether unintentional or with malice. This is why we are directed to know the Scriptures for ourselves. In addition, there are some (without sound knowledge of the scriptures) who will dispute the truth. This can be tiresome, but it is not sinful to study and learn. The hope is that what is written in scripture will prevail, for both the teacher and the student.
Here are a few bible verses supporting what I’m trying to say: 1Thessalonians 5:19-22 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast to what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
What do we learn here? —Do not quench the Spirit— John 14:26 26“But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you.”
Scripture specifically tells us that the Ruach will teach us, and remind us of the Words of Elohim. This is why we are told in 1Thessalonians to not quench the Spirit. However, the Ruach is not the only thing that can lead us. We also have to contend with our own thoughts and desires. We have to contend with haSatan, who is willing to deceive and destroy. Just because we feel “led to believe” something does not mean that it is coming from the Ruach, the Holy Spirit. That is why we are told to test all things and hold fast to that which is good. If we learn from a teacher, test it to see if it is true. If we feel a leading of the Spirit, test it to see if it is true. We need to verify whether we are hearing from the Set Apart Spirit of Elohim, or if we are being influenced by something else, even our own thoughts. The same applies to teachers. They may teach with honest sincerity, as they feel led, but this alone does not make them correct. Being in alignment with the whole of scripture is what makes them correct, and we are instructed to confirm and verify.
How do we do this? How do we test all things? We are told in scripture exactly how to do this: Acts 17:10-11 10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
The Bereans are presented as an example in this matter. When Paul taught in Berea, they did not simply accept his teachings “because he is Paul of the bible”. What did they do? They searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether or not Paul’s teachings were true. Again, let the Word that is written be your authority. Teachers will invest time in study and then share what they learn with others. This is a huge blessing. This is something we should value. But we are not to believe them without confirming their teaching. Paul is one of the most well-studied teachers in all of history. Paul was supernaturally called to serve by Yeshua Messiah Himself. And yet, we are taught in scripture to not blindly believe his teachings without doing our own study of the Scriptures. If this applies to Paul, then it certainly applies to teachers today.
2Timothy 2:15 Do your utmost to present yourself approved to Elohim, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth. We are required to make our own efforts, to present ourselves approved before Yehova. We are to rightly handle the Word of Truth. We are not to blindly believe what a teacher tells us, even if our teacher has a proven track record of being trustworthy. We can be blessed by the teaching of others, but we are expected to make our own efforts to study the Truth ourselves. Confirm and verify. Doing so is not rebellious or disrespectful. It is required of us in the Scriptures.
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
In my experience, no one has every single thing right. Well respected and trusted teachers have changed their position at times, updating or completely starting over with a given topic. This is growth, and is to be expected. Some people have proven themselves to be excellent teachers. As men and women, we are to help one another, by studying the Scriptures and holding to Truth. Iron sharpens iron, and no teacher is excluded.
My last thought on this topic: Be respectful. Be helpful. Do not argue. Be humble, and let the Word be your authority whether you are a teacher or a student.
I have found that people are generally aware of the scripture in Matthew 24 referring to “love growing cold”.
Here is a large sampling of this verse in various translations: New International Version Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, New Living Translation Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. English Standard Version And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Berean Study Bible Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. Berean Literal Bible And because lawlessness is to be multiplied, the love of the many will grow cold. New American Standard Bible “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. New King James Version And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. King James Bible And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Christian Standard Bible Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. Contemporary English Version Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. Good News Translation Such will be the spread of evil that many people’s love will grow cold. Holman Christian Standard Bible Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. International Standard Version and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold. NET Bible and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. New Heart English Bible And because lawlessness is multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. Aramaic Bible in Plain English And because of the abundance of evil, the love of many will grow cold. GOD’S WORD® Translation And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people’s love will grow cold. New American Standard 1977 “And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
Jubilee Bible 2000 And because lawlessness shall abound, the charity of many shall wax cold. King James 2000 Bible And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold. American King James Version And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. American Standard Version And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold. Douay-Rheims Bible And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold. Darby Bible Translation and because lawlessness shall prevail, the love of the most shall grow cold; English Revised Version And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold. Webster’s Bible Translation And because iniquity will abound, the love of many will become cold. Weymouth New Testament and because of the prevalent disregard of God’s law the love of the great majority will grow cold; World English Bible Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. Young’s Literal Translation and because of the abounding of the lawlessness, the love of the many shall become cold
I spent 30 plus years in mainstream Christianity being taught that this verse referred to evil or wickedness (typically from the NIV in churches we attended). I was taught that people would become or are becoming more wicked or evil, and that it would result in love growing cold. I was always taught this referred to how people treat one another. When we look at a large sampling of translations, we find that only two use the term wickedness, and another two use the term evil.
What about all the others? We get 23 versions referring to the law of the bible, either as law, or as sin/iniquity which is a transgression of the law: 1John 3:4 Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
wickedness – 1-2 evil – 1-2 sin rampant -1 lawlessness – 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14 Iniquity – 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 Disregard the law – 1
If we believe what the scripture is saying, we can assume that not obeying the law of God results in people treating one another badly. While this is true, we do not need to make assumptions. Let’s take a look at Matthew 24:11, and we’ll find out what causes lawlessness to abound and love to grow cold:
Matthew 24:11 “And many false prophets shall rise up and lead many astray.”
False prophets. Leading people astray. Astray from what? The instructions of Yehova. The law. The Torah.
Here it is altogether: “And many false prophets shall rise up and lead many astray. And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold.” And that is not the end of this concept. Yeshua Messiah goes further in verse 13: “But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved.”
Endure what until the end? Not being led astray by false prophets. Not increasing lawlessness. Not allowing our love to grow cold as a result. This is what we are to endure until the end. And what is the reward? Being saved. These three simple sentences by Yeshua Messiah tell us that we are saved by not listening to false prophets that result in lawlessness. And let’s not forget that Yeshua Messiah associates this concept with love growing cold.
Let’s look at three other direct quotes of Yeshua Messiah: John 14:15 “If you love Me, you shall keep My commands.” John 14:21 “He who keeps My commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 15:10 “If you keep My commands, you shall stay in My love even as I have guarded My Father’s commands and stay in His love.”
Yeshua says that if we love Him we will keep the commandments, the law, the Torah. In Matthew, Yeshua associates disobedience and lawlessness with a lack of love. The three quotes from John tell us that disobedience results in a lack of love for Messiah. I believe this is what Messiah is referring to in Matthew 24. A lack of love for Him. A lack of love for Jesus, Yeshua Messiah, proven by the disobedience and lawlessness of men and women. In Matthew 24, Yeshua is talking about whether or not our love for Him grows cold. Are there any other scriptures that would confirm this? Yes, there are… Another direct quote of Messiah: Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the will of My Father in the heavens. Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’”
Messiah does not know people who live their lives in lawlessness, saying the law is done away with…
We see a test in 1John 2 to find out whether or not we know Yeshua Messiah: And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands. The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.
Anyone who claims to know Jesus, but does not keep the
commands is a liar and they have no truth.
Not my idea, but simply what scripture tells us.
Is this a new idea?
Nope.
This concept goes back to the beginning.
God the Father tells us the same thing:
Deuteronomy 13:3-4
“…for יהוה your Elohim is testing you to know whether you love יהוה your Elohim
with all your heart and with all your being. Walk after יהוה your Elohim and
fear Him, and guard His commands and obey His voice, and serve Him and cling to
Him.”
We are being tested to see if we love God.
What are the pass fail criteria?
Guard/keep His commands
Obey His Voice
No, this is not a new concept.
The standard for loving Yehova and Yeshua Messiah (God and Jesus) has been the
same since the beginning.
Obedience.
Listen to them.
Know their Voice (the things They say).
Obey them.
False prophets who teach the law is done away with lead people astray, encouraging
them to disobey, resulting in love growing cold.
Love for Messiah.
And love for God our Creator.
Dear Yehova, Today is the day, December 25th, and another season of faulty worship will have come and gone. I pray for all the people in the world who are unfamiliar with Your scriptures. I pray for all the people who accept the traditions of men over the Words You have spoken. I pray that in time they will learn Your Words and Your Ways, and choose to follow You. But there seems to be another problem. There are many among those walking in Your truth that seem to be triggered by these traditions. There seems to be much uneasiness, anxiety, lack of peace, and for some even anger or bitterness. I pray for those who are disturbed that they will have Your peace and Your comfort. I pray they can let go of their hold on the feelings and emotions that bubble to the surface at Christmas. Whether it is because they are angered by years of lies, or if they’ve been hurt by family because of their decision to no longer follow the traditions and false teachings of men, I pray for simple peace and relief. Yeshua said this…
John 17:14-19 “I have given them Your Word, and the world hated them because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the wicked one. They are not of the world, as I am not of the world. Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for them I set Myself apart, so that they too might be set apart in truth.”
We must remain in this world, while not being “of the world.” We need to walk in Your Ways, while being exposed to the many traditions of men. It is not necessary for any of us to be upset, uneasy, angry, or disturbed by the ways of the world and the people who carry them out, as we remain in their midst. We are to walk in Your Ways and be a set apart example for those around us. We are to let our light shine, as we listen to Your Voice and live our lives accordingly. We are to exhibit good fruit with humble and submitted hearts, showing the fruits of the Spirit. Anyone who sees and desires what we have will be drawn to it, and we can help them. For those who are not drawn to Your Ways, we cannot try to explain the truth to them. They will not “get it” and many will hate it. I pray for the many who are in conflict over these traditions of men. I pray they will set that burden aside, and no longer carry that weight. I pray for peace and shalom for Your people. And I pray for the hope that comes from knowing Your truth, and being at ease knowing what it is we hope for. I pray for these things in Yeshua’s Name. Amen
