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...passing through their midst
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the Fight Of Our Life series
Becoming Vulnerable
by haRold Smith
a citizen of the Commonwealth (Ephesians 2:19)
"...all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong.
But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way." Luke 4:14-30
"Yeshua answered, 'If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but
I do know Him and keep His Word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.' Then the Pharisees said to Him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?' Yeshua said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM'. Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Yeshua hid Himself and went out of the temple
going through the midst of them, and so passed by." John 8:54-59
Recently, I was diagnosed with having congestive heart failure; a dear friend in her 50s, spry and full of life, who had given herself totally to serving YaHoVeH, accidentally fell, hit her head and died of a massive brain bleed; I also saw an interview with two couples living across the street from each other recounting having survived the effects of a disastrous tornado. One couple, whose home was unscathed, told of how their Christian "God" protected them because of their prayers during the tornado. The other couple, whose home was totally devastated, told of praying to the same Christian "God" during the same tornado but that, "We don't always understand why things happen to us. God allows things to happen for a reason". Really? Did the Creator of the universe cause all those things to happen? Is He the capricious initiator of all events in the world, specifically, in our lives - saving some while destroying others - blessing some and ignoring others? Does He really keep us from harm if we pray ardently enough? Christian theology would have us to believe that He does - but, what do the words of scripture actually say about it?
Matthew 10:29-31 (click on highlighted words to view content)
tells us that YaHoVeH knows every bird that falls to the ground and that the hairs of our head are all numbered. But, does it say He made the bird fall from the sky? Words mean things. Do the words say He causes the head to go bald? Most who cling to this Christian theology point to the story of Job as the support text for their reasoning; but, as evidenced in the series
Warfare,
the real enemy that was the reason for Job's crisis was the adversarial opposition (the meaning of the Hebrew
sa-tan)
brought before the throne of YaHoVeH by Job's brethren. As pointed out in that article, it was not until those brethren repented and Job forgave them that his misery subsided. But, beyond what circumstance we bring
upon ourselves,
there is a protection available to us - just not what we have been told it is.
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"...but you do not believe because you are not among My sheep. My sheep
hear My voice,
and I know them, and
they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and
no one will snatch them out of My Hand." John 10:26-28
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The Greek word translated "follow" in this passage is
akoloutheo
which comes from the root
alpha
having its origin in the Hebrew echad - meaning
"one"
or "unity." What we are promised is that, for those who have conformed their behavior to the
Word of YaHoVeH
as Yeshua said He did in John 8 at the start of this article (i.e., becoming "one" with Him as He is "one" with the Father -
John 17:20-23),
then "no one will snatch them out of My Hand" - not that we will never have adversity affect our lives. In fact, Yeshua said,
"In the world, you will have tribulation"
and the Father sends "...rain on the just and the unjust"
equally. The promise we are given is that, regardless of what adversity afflicts us, if we have conformed ourselves to
His Image,
He will not let us be snatched away from the trust we have placed in Him. From a Hebrew perspective, that trust is called
"faithfulness"
and means, "firmness, fidelity, steadfastness and steadiness" in the face of all circumstance - regardless of what happens. Contrarily, what has been taught is that prayer protects us from harm. For many reading the two passages of scripture beginning this article, what becomes envisioned in the mind is Yeshua, seeing harm advancing on Him from the crowds, prayed hard to make Himself invisible and, thus, was able to pass through undetected. But here, as elsewhere in scripture, we are left to the imagination as to exactly how this feat was accomplished because it is not stated precisely what happened. Just how did He 'hide Himself'?
Psalm 31:19-21
tells us that if a person trusts in YaHoVeH before men, YaHoVeH will, Himself, hide that person in the secret of
His Presence.
In other words, this scripture says the very ACT of literally placing the reality of our life, our circumstances, into the palm of His Hand, thereby making us vulnerable to the external forces of life - IT IS IN THAT VERY ACT that His Presence is caused to be loosed in this earthly realm. As we step aside, as we become vulnerable, it gives YaHoVeH our permission and allows Him the opportunity to BE (this statement presupposes we have already conformed our behavior to
His Will which is how we follow Him).
How do we know we are in YaHoVeH's Will?
1Thessalonians 5:18
says when we give thanks IN everything that we are in the Father's Will and
Ephesians 5:20
says to give thanks FOR everything. When those men came for Yeshua, He was already standing in the Presence of the Almighty. If the Father did not make a way for Him to escape, He would have perished at their hands. But, because He had given Himself over to the Father's Purpose and because it was not His time
(John 7:4-6),
the Father caused Him to pass through those men. Whether He could be seen or not is immaterial - what matters is that the Father, exerting His Power, came to Yeshua's rescue because of where He had positioned Himself in the Presence of YaHoVeH. So, was Yeshua any LESS in the Presence of His Father when men ultimately came and took Him to the cross? No - He was in the same standing, but in the Garden, He was becoming willingly obedient to His Father's Purpose of being the
Kinsman Redeemer
to His family - regardless of the circumstances before Him.
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...the eye of the needle
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In the Old City of Jerusalem, tucked away in St. Alexander's Russian Orthodox Chapel at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa (the street Yeshua was forced to carry His cross down on the way to being crucified at Golgotha), is a small remnant of the original city wall where the Judgment Gate was located that has been preserved and kept intact. This was the gate under which Pilate pronounced judgment on Yeshua, and He began His arduous journey to death on the cross. The opening shown in this picture is an actual "eye of the needle", spoken of in
Matthew 19:23-24
where Yeshua said it was easier for a camel to pass through than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of YaHoVeH. These were small passageways next to every gate in the city of Jerusalem where people could pass through and were the only way in and out after the gates would be locked at night to keep enemies at bay. They are very narrow and are less than 5 feet tall, so one has to stoop over and squeeze through in order to gain entrance to the other side. As you can see, it would be impossible for a fully grown camel to slide through this small opening. What Yeshua was pointing to in His comment was that rich men of the day were extremely resistant to utilize this passageway because it would cause them to have to humble themselves by removing their headgear and stoop over in order to get through. Many were too proud to do so - considering it beneath their "position" among the social ranking of their community. In like regard,
the Power
that everyone is seeking is surrounded by a tightly guarded wall. The gate to enter that compound, that kingdom, is very narrow and there are few that find it. YaHoVeH is calling us into the narrow gate, the one contracted by pressure
(Matthew 7:14),
It is not the one we would normally desire to enter because it is not the one of comfort, convenience or security - but, it is the one that leads to
Life.
It is the one that opens to us the
Power of the Father.
Yeshua is very definitive about the parameters of that gate - take no thought for tomorrow, with food and clothing be content, he that would love his life will lose it,
resist not evil.
All of these measures cause us to become vulnerable to the externalities the world lays at our doorstep and it is we who "make" ourselves to become vulnerable to those externalities. When we take matters into our own hands over these externalities, the "onus" of responsibility for our
protection
moves out of YaHoVeH's Hands and places it in ours. We usurp His Plan and Purpose for ours and bear the brunt of the consequences of our choices.
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"For this is why the gospel was preached
even to those who are dead,
that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way YaHoVeH does." 1Peter4:6
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To understand scripture properly, it becomes essential to recognize the fundamental approach from which the words on the page were written. When we remember that all the books of the Book were written by Hebrews out of a Hebrew mindset influenced by Hebrew culture and were primarily addressed to other Hebrews who understood the nuances of the Hebrew language; then, from this strictly Hebraic perspective, we find there are only two categories of people contained in scripture - Hebrews and others. These others are called
Gentiles
- those comprising the world outside the Kingdom of YaHoVeH who worship gods other than the Hebrew
Elohim
of Israel - not the "god of mankind". The term "Gentile believer" is
oxymoronic
and does not exist in a Hebraic world view. Yeshua even reinforced this perspective in
Matthew 18:15-17.
Because these "others" do not embrace the Light of Life found in YaHoVeH, they are considered "dead" - even though they may be breathing. You are either in Life or you are dead - there is no middle ground
(see what it means to scripturally to Become Human).
Since YaHoVeH has instilled everyone with free will, He will not overstep that boundary. He wants people to come to Him through that free will of choice. It is because He loves the world that He has provided a Way through Yeshua for any who are in the world to come to Him. But, they mostly don't - choosing instead to go their own way. It is where Life and death collide that we find turmoil. Yeshua said that the disciple is not above the teacher - if they did it to Him, we can expect the world to treat us in the same manner
(Matthew 10:24-28).
Isaiah 1:18-19
says "Come, now, and let us reason together, says YaHoVeH...if you be willing AND obedient...then shall you eat of the good of the Land." There are two words that are almost always used whenever YaHoVeH speaks - 'IF' and 'THEN'. 'If' WE will do thus and so, 'then' HE will do such and such. His eyes run to and fro across the earth looking for those who are willing to walk hand in hand with Him - to trust Him that He might show Himself strong on their behalf
(2Chronicles 16:9),
That is half the struggle. IF we put ourselves aside (our wants, our needs, our desires, our hopes, our dreams, our aspirations), THEN we are truly in a position to say, "...not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord." It is one thing to say it - quite another to live it out before others.
And that is what the core of this walk is about - more than what we 'do for God', more than where we are planted or who we come in contact with. At every step, at every juncture, bringing His Kingdom
from within
into this earthly realm by our choices is our Purpose.
John 1:12
tells us that to all who receive YaHoVeH for Who He Says He Is, to them He gave power to become children of Him. That is where the authority He has given us lies. The word "authority" in the Greek is
ecksousia
and means (ready for this?) "power of choice." Of the 131 times it is used, it is translated "power" 69 times. When we CHOOSE His Way over our way, it unleashes the
Power of His Nature
we have cultivated
in our lives to work on our behalf and on the behalf of others in our midst. That is the authority He has entrusted to us - and it begins with a willing heart. It was when I quit 'trying' to find my place that He took me to it - and it was right where I was. It has taken me the better part of 40 years to discover that we carry the Kingdom within us. It goes where we go. We don't have to go hunt for our "place" in it - we ARE it! If we don't try to
Pre-Determine
what goes on in our life, He will position us alongside those who are to be instrumental in helping us get to where we need to be - we won't need to try to find them. He will cause events to occur that will MOVE us to be positioned so that we are in a place to receive what we need for the next step - we won't need to try to figure out where He is taking us. As long as you are willing AND obedient to
His Words,
then you have given Him the permission to move on your behalf - and to move you. Stay willing, stay humble, stay contrite and you will see the awesome Power of the Living Elohim (original Hebrew translated as "God") bring into existence those things which are not - to PUT you where He has called you to be. Look for His Hand and He will be found of you.
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"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105
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...a lamp unto my feet
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When David wrote this passage, it was a literal reality. There was a small plate attached to the top of the sandals they wore that allowed a candle to be positioned so that it would light the path ahead - a "lamp unto my feet." However, it only provided enough light to show where to place the next step. That is still the same way He illuminates our path today - just enough light for our next step. As you seek Him for your Light today and when you come to the place where you need to move, trust Him to provide the illumination in that hour for your next step. It is not a place where you can draw security from your circumstance, but because He is the Elohim of Circumstance, you can trust Him that He loves you to show you when and where to take that next step when the time comes. Know also that He is bigger than our mistakes - if we leave it all in His Hands. So, be at peace, you are a child of
the Living King,
a person of Royalty who carries the Father's Kingdom within, charged with bringing that Kingdom into this earthly realm. The other part of this walk is obedience. Having waited on Him, once your path becomes illumined, walk in it - trusting that you will be borne aloft by the Wings of His Spirit as He comes beneath you to bear you up. This is the exercise of faith
(Hebrews 11:6)
- believing that what He has illumined is His Voice.
He speaks as Light.
It is within this environment of faith that we see
Romans 8:28
begin to happen. Faith is believing that once He has spoken - no matter what we see, no matter what we hear, no matter what we feel, no matter what we think - YaHoVeH is Good and will do everything He has said He will do. This is Holy Ground and He has allowed us the privilege to walk on it.
This walk in the Spirit can be simplistically summed up into three categories - Knowing the Father
(John 17:3),
Hearing His Voice (John 10:27),
and, having heard, Becoming Obedient (Philippians 2:8).
The times we are in, more than ever, are going to require us to become proficient in all three categories if we are to survive this onslaught with our faith intact. If we succumb to or try to manipulate the externalities this life brings to our spiritual doorstep, we will find ourselves on the outside looking in with the rest of the world and wondering how we got there. If we are to find distinction from
the enemy
presenting as an angel of light,
placing thoughts in our mind
and masquerading as sheep we will have need of being exercised in the Way of Yeshua. Every step is our choice, just as it was His. When He was in the Garden,
Matthew 26:53
says He could have called 12 LEGIONS of angels to rescue Him (a legion was the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry) - He had that authority, that power available to Him. But, instead, He still chose the Way of the Father rather than
separation.
He is our example. By His Life, He showed us how to walk in this realm. If we are to walk in this Power, we must deny ourselves, take up whatever cross we must bear on a daily basis and follow His example of Life - His Way
(Luke 9:23).
Denying ourselves and crucifying our flesh are two separate and distinct acts of our will. These are our choices to become vulnerable to the world around us - not to try to conform the world to our desire through prayer which was the
cause of separation
in the beginning.
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"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with YaHoVeH through our Lord Yeshua haMashiach, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of YaHoVeH. And not only that,
but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of YaHoVeH has been poured out in our hearts by His spirit of holiness that has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5
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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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