the Scriptural Sin series
the Sin of the World
by haRold Smith
a citizen of the Commonwealth (Ephesians 2:19)
"He established
a testimony
in Jacob and appointed Torah in Israel
which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children…" Psalm 78:5
"…she will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yeshua, because He (Yeshua) will
save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21
"But when the fullness of time came, YaHoVeH sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under Torah, in order that He might redeem
those under Torah
so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are (His) children, YaHoVeH has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!" Galatians 4:4-6
We get into problems with scripture when we assume the English translations we read are accurate and do not carry with them a predisposed agenda instead of just looking at the words for what they actually mean. The religion of Christianity has corrupted Yeshua's
purpose for being sent.
You will not find the popular phrase, "He came to save mankind from their sins" anywhere in scripture. The Hebrew word used in
Jeremiah 32:27
translated as the English "mankind" is
basar
whose primary definition actually means "flesh" but is also defined as "kindred, blood-relations". Remembering that Jacob was
renamed
"Israel", the identifier of YaHoVeH's Family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob becomes "Israel". All through the Book, including Jeremiah, YaHoVeH is called both, "the Lord of hosts" and "the God of Israel" in the same breath. The Hebrew word translated "hosts" is
tsaba'
which carries as one of its definitions, "of whole creation" and that includes all men - but His qualifier is as the Elohim of Israel - the two cannot be separated
(ref., Jeremiah 35:13).
While it is true that YaHoVeH is the Creator of all men, not all men accept Him for Who He says He is - the One, True, Elohim of Israel. You will also not find any scripture that says
His Words
(with emphasis on verse one) no longer apply to us today. In fact, what you will find is
just the opposite claim
coming from the mouth of the Messiah of Israel. The Christian theologians who claim this re-write to be the message of what they call the
"New Testament"
apparently overlooked what the words contained in those writings actually say - as is evidenced by the verses above. Resultantly, those who adhere to that religion become influenced by this tradition of men handed down to them as sanctioned doctrine - the very thing that same Son says
makes void
the Word of YaHoVeH, which means to bring to "none effect"; thereby, nullifying the Words of His Father. The definition of this Greek verb
akyroo,
which only appears three times in scripture, means "to render void, deprive of force and authority". Words mean things. We must constantly be reminded that ALL the books of scripture were written by Hebrews out of a Hebrew mindset influenced by a Hebrew culture that produced a uniquely Hebrew perspective being conveyed primarily to a Hebrew audience which understood the nuances of the Hebrew language. There were no "Christians" around when these words were penned. To properly understand what these words mean necessitates viewing them from the Hebrew perspective they were written in - not what the culture we live in says they mean. For instance,
John 11:50-51
clearly says Yeshua died for the nation of Israel, the family of YaHoVeH - not for "the world". Yeshua did not come to save "the world" - yet, John 1:29 says "Behold the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world". Men have extrapolated this phrase to mean "to save mankind from their sins" - however, that is not what the words say. The way this seeming conflict is resolved is to allow scripture to interpret scripture from the perspective it was written in - not from the overlay of the traditional assessment of men.
Galatians 3:17-18
is used by the Hebrew apostle Sha'ul (who was also known by his Roman name of Paul) explaining how the
inheritance
promised by YaHoVeH to
the Hebrew Abraham
passes to the children of Isaac and Jacob (who was renamed Israel). YaHoVeH's plan of redemption is for those who choose to belong in His Family of
the Kingdom of Israel,
as has always been
the case - not those who choose to remain in the world
by their actions.
With YaHoVeH, ethnicity has nothing to do with
Scriptural Salvation
but, rather, with worship. You will not find the phrase, "Yeshua only died for the Hebrew" anywhere in any of these articles.
Galatians 3:28
makes clear that for those in union with the Messiah Yeshua, there is neither Hebrew nor Gentile for all are one in Him. When someone who was formerly from a gentile culture is
Grafted In
to the Kingdom of YaHoVeH, he is grafted into the
Hebrew root of Israel.
Therefore, whoever believes in
the NAME of YaHoVeH's Son
(which means YaHoVeH saves)
becomes grafted into His Kingdom from out of the world - but, that person does not remain
a Gentile.
He does not remain "in the world". He becomes a citizen of the Kingdom of YaHoVeH - Israel. Thus, Yeshua did not come to "save the world" - only those from "out of the world" who choose to embrace the Kingdom of His Father. This is how Yeshua is able to take away "the sin of the world" from those who give themselves to YaHoVeH's Kingdom by keeping His Words. The way we choose Life is by choosing to adhere to the Words of the Source of Life Who is YaHoVeH
(Isaiah 56:1-8,
John 14:23-24).
Yeshua is not the Source of Life, but
a manifestation of the Life.
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"...at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a
flaming sword
that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life"
Genesis 3:24b
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The Hebrew word for "sin" found in
Isaiah 1:18
is het'.
It is the combination of the Hebrew letters chet, taw and aleph. The images in the
Paleo-Hebrew pictograph
these letters represent when strung together mean "first to destroy the fence" (Frank Seekins, Hebrew Word Pictures). If sin is related to destroying the "fence," then what is the fence? Anything that stands in
opposition
to the Words of YaHoVeH is sin. YaHoVeH's fence around His people is found in the protection of the instructions of His Words. The fence guarding the Tree of Life (which is Light) is the
flaming sword
of His Words. YaHoVeH's Covenant with His Family of Israel is based on this fence. It is the distinguishing characteristic between Hebrew and Gentile. Those who choose to join themselves to the Family of Israel stand in special relationship to YaHoVeH because they choose to keep
His Words
- choosing to stay within His protective fence and, thus, being able to partake of the Tree of Life. This is not a relationship of rescue or deliverance. It is a relationship of purpose. YaHoVeH chose Israel as the vehicle for bringing the world to Him; a
Light to the Nations
and His Family is to accomplish this great purpose by living according to His Words - His Covenant. His Family of Israel is to be a
kingdom of priests
and that purpose has never changed from
the beginning.
Sin tears down the
distinctiveness
that YaHoVeH uses to set His People apart from the world. Sin destroys purpose. The problem most of us have is that we don't see
the fence around the Tree
until we are on the wrong side of it. We discover the geography of sin only after we have crossed the invisible line - then we know what it means to be without His Presence. As a result, we first try to recover the awareness we have lost usually through some religious ritual. But it's too late. We are standing on the wrong side of the fence. All the praying in the world will not restore the awareness we seek. Awareness can't be found here because that awareness comes as a result of our
nearness to the Tree.
To recover the awareness means we must move back to the inside of the fence. Death is disguised in small defeats. We have come to the wrong side of the fence through dozens of tiny steps, none of which seemed so terrible at the time - but the totality of those steps culminates in death. Just as Light and darkness cannot abide in the same space at the same time, so anything apart from Life is death - they cannot coexist. If we don't recognize the validity of His Words, however, then we remain in darkness. By remaining ignorant of His Words, we choose to remain in death because we have chosen to remove ourselves from His Words and don't have any way of
knowing
what constitutes His Life.
To know
in Hebrew is yada'
which means "to be made known, to be or cause to know, to be revealed". It is in His Presence that the Essence of the Source of Life is revealed. We come into His Presence by
doing
the words of Yeshua's Father - which causes them to be revealed in our lives thus making Him our Father as well. They become part of our being as a result of knowing YaHoVeH. In Paleolithic-Hebrew, the Hebrew word translated as the English "covenant" is
berit
and the Paleo-Hebrew image
that means to "reveal" is the Hebrew letter ayin
 .
When the two are combined they form the Hebrew word 'Ibriy
and that is the word for
Hebrew
- or in the language of Paleolithic-Hebrew Covenant Revealed!!
His Covenant is revealed in the life of His servants; His priests who join themselves to His
Hebrew Kingdom
by keeping His Words
(see what it means To Make Manifest His Name).
But, there is a price to be paid for living in the Presence of His Brilliance because Light sears, Light burns, Light destroys darkness. Yeshua says that we are
made clean
by the Word which He speaks and the only words He speaks are what He has been
taught of His Father,
YaHoVeH. The real translation of the word used for "clean" in this verse comes from the Greek word
katharos,
meaning "purified by fire." The fence, the hedge surrounding the Tree of Light (which is Life) is His Word - the flaming sword of fire which prevents anyone who does not adhere to those Words from partaking of the Tree. It is in the practice of the Words of Spirit that cleans, "bringing forth" the purity of Spirit through our lives into this earthly realm. Yeshua says we are to become the
salt of the earth.
Interestingly, the only place where salt loses its saltiness is in the
crucible of fire.
Yeshua came to baptize in the Spirit of YaHoVeH
AND WITH FIRE.
The Hebrew phrase
ruach
ha
kodesh
(reading right to left is Hebrew for "the holiness of spirit" - something that is
cultivated
within an individual by that individual) has been used inadvertently as a substitute for the English "Holy Spirit" appearing in their bibles. This is incorrect as there is no capitalization in Hebrew; thus, there is no personification, no third person
"Holy Spirit".
What is the holiness of spirit? Holiness is the Nature abiding in Spirit, Who is YaHoVeH. When Yeshua said to "be perfect even as your Father is perfect" in
Matthew 5:48,
He was not giving us something to do that was beyond our reach - nor was He telling us anything new. He was not giving us a "new" command. He was actually quoting
Leviticus 19:2
(found in the Torah) which says, "You shall become holy, as I, YaHoVeH, your Elohim am holy". The Way to become holy is to keep YaHoVeH's Words. There are many "saints" recorded in the Tanakh (OT). The Hebrew word
kadosh
translated "saints" in the Tanakh and a variation of kodesh, is describing those who comprise
the family of YaHoVeH
- those who abide within His Kingdom. Becoming holy is very different from what happened on
Yom Shavu'ot
when those who were waiting received the Breath of Life from YaHoVeH. And that event was accompanied by FIRE - the FIre of YaHoVeH's Words.
It is in the fire of life's tribulations that causes the impure to
separate
from the pure - not the other way around. The firey circumstances we find ourselves in is what causes the dross of impurity within us to rise to the surface becoming manifest in our words and actions and is the very vehicle YaHoVeH uses to expose those impurities to us that we may deal with them accordingly - WHILE STILL IN THE MIDST OF THAT CIRCUMSTANCE. Mixing the "sin of the world" (motives for selfish gain, concerns for self-protection, preoccupation with selfish desires and moral "holidays") with the real salt simply turns us into Salt Sea salt - salty, but useless in
YaHoVeH's Kingdom.
It is only as we embrace His Words daily in our lives in every circumstance confronting us that we are purified into becoming
as He Is!
How can you and I live in the Presence of Light so brilliant it consumes everything that isn't Light as well? Well, the truth is that we can't. This is the
price exacted
for the privilege of living in His Presence. We who have constructed our own identities from the shadows will die when we are exposed to His Light - and that's the only way we can survive in it. We must die so that what lives in the Light can be revealed. Whatever is found in the revealed character of YaHoVeH thrives in His Light - and just where is that character revealed?
"And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and
lay it up before YaHoVeH,
to be kept for your generations. As YaHoVeH commanded Moses, so Aaron
laid it up before the Testimony,
to be kept." Exodus 16:33-34
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...the ark of the Testimony
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The Testimony
spoken of in the opening verse of this article is the Presence of YaHoVeH revealed in Jacob (renamed Israel). The Hebrew word translated as the English "testimony" is
'eduwth
and means "a precept, law, a revelation". It is also translated "witness" - the manna is the witness of His Faithfulness of provision in all circumstances to those who give themselves totally to His Presence. His Presence is found in the two tablets of
the Testimony
given to Israel at Sinai. Before this event, the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of the congregation - afterwards it was called the tabernacle of
the Testimony
because that is where the the ark of
the Testimony
now resided. The purpose of the Words of Torah is to reveal to us how to become partakers of His divine nature! But, it becomes our choice as to whether we embrace those Words or not. The revelation of Psalm 95:7-11 (as quoted in
Hebrews 3:7-11,
"…the Spirit reveals today, if you will hear His Voice...") is in hearing the Testimony. Whether YaHoVeH summarizes holiness in a single commandment as with Adam, in the constitution of a nation as with Moses, or in the expression of His Life as exampled by Yeshua, the requirement for abiding in His Presence has always been the same -
obedience to His Words.
"IF you will obey My voice and IF you will attend to My instructions by following them, THEN will you be My Holy People and THEN will you abide in the Presence of the Eternal One - the Source of LIFE"
(Exodus 19:5-6,
Matthew 19:16-19).
In Exodus 15:26,
the Hebrew word for "hearken", "listen" or "hear" is
shama'
- but, in Exodus 19:5,
this same Hebrew word is also found to be used for "obey". In Hebrew, to hear IS to obey, to obey IS to hear. Whether you hear what is spoken or not is measured by how you obey what you hear. Conversely, how you obey determines whether or not you heard what was said. To say "God is good" is to also say "good is God" at the same time - they are the same. To try to separate them is to destroy their identity, the unity found in their meaning (see what it really means to be
Born Again).
This same dualism is taking place in
Romans 10:17
that says, "...faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of YaHoVeH." Hebraically, this phrase is rendered "faith IS hearing/obeying - hearing/obeying IS faith".
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside
every encumbrance and
the sin which so easily entangles
us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us..." Hebrews 12:1
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The idea of laying aside encumbrances and the entangling sin is preceded by a crucial word, "therefore." The heroes and heroines of the faith are the great cloud of witnesses. The author names quite a few. Because of the witness of their lives, we are to follow this exhortation. Because they had faith, "therefore" we are to run with endurance. But what is common to these faithful ones? Why should they cause us to endure to the end? Read the list again. Notice that it does not begin with Abel. It begins with the statement that YaHoVeH brought the world into being from things invisible
(11:3).
He created out of nothing with His Word - not from what was already present. Such is the nature of the faith of these witnesses. They acted on the basis of YaHoVeH's Words in every circumstance they found themselves in. They demonstrated trust (the Hebrew definition of
faith)
when there was nothing visible to provide evidence. The repeated phrase "by faith" introduces not a creed or doctrinal declaration but rather action based solely on what YaHoVeH said. To believe that He is good in all circumstance - no matter what we see, no matter what we hear, no matter what we feel, no matter what we think. Words converted into deeds. "By faith" is a shorthand way of saying, "I will hear and I will do."
What, then, is the sin that so easily entangles? Is it not a distrust of the Creator? Is it not acting as though what YaHoVeH says is not true? Idolatry is the belief that YaHoVeH is not the one true sovereign
Elohim of all creation.
Idolatry is not merely bowing down before some figure made with human hands. Idolatry is a way of life - a way of life that rejects or ignores what YaHoVeH says. Idolatry does not require a physical symbol of a false god. It only requires that we act as if what YaHoVeH said does not matter to us. If faith is trusting in what He says to be true, then idolatry is claiming that it is not true, no longer true or relevant. If you apply this verse personally, the sin that so easily entangles might be some specific addictive pattern you fight. But the author has a wider picture in mind - what entangles us is the failure to act on YaHoVeH's Word. What entangles us is in the subtle lack of faith established in idolatry.
Euperistatos
is the Greek word translated as "easily entangles" or "besets" but its real meaning is what "skillfully surrounds" us. What entangles is whatever we have surrounded ourselves with that we think is good for us but is not what YaHoVeH says is good. It is the same sin that captured Adam - the personal tree we have so masterfully developed in our own garden; the power to choose otherwise, the capacity to pretend that YaHoVeH's Word isn't good for me today. Yeshua said the authority given to Him by the Father has been given to those who follow and adhere to His example of Life
(Luke 9:1-2,
Luke 10:19-23).
The Greek word used for "authority" in these passages is
exousia
and means "the power of choice" The
restoration of the Garden
is the restoration of the power of choice to remain in
the Present Presence
where we are
given rest
in the freedom from the power of the sin and death of the world.
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The Sin of the World - a discussion
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"He that has received His
Testimony
has set to his seal that YaHoVeH is true." John 3:32-34
"...this is the
Testimony
that YaHoVeH gave us eternal life, and this Life is in his Son."
1John 5:11
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the Scriptural Sin Series
Part One, What Is Sin?
Part Two, The Sin of the World
Part Three, Involving Incest
Part Four, I Am Not A Sinner
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???Questions???
Please feel free to email me at harold@hethathasanear.com.
While not claiming to have all
the answers, it would be an honor to partake with you of what Spirit is uncovering.
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