“They Have Set Up Their Own Signs as Signs”
Psalms 74:4 Your adversaries have roared In the midst of Your appointments [H4150 Moed]; They have set up their own signs as signs.
We continue ‘counting the omer’ to the anchor moedim of Pentecost, we practice inward reflection and maturity. How would Yahuah evaluate our daily walk and our gatherings with Him during His moedim? Is His bride maturing and coming of age? Would He be well pleased by the actions, words, and deeds of His faithful servants or would Psalm 74:4 apply?
A good shepherd always ‘inspects’ the pasture and prepares the ‘table’ before he lets the sheep graze. A good shepherd is particular about the environment where he will gather his sheep for feeding. Poisonous plants, predators, and snakes are cleared from the pastureland. Everything is planned and well thought out. He leads the sheep beside still waters for drinking for he knows sheep are poor swimmers and could easily be swept away by rushing streams. A good shepherd is not a hireling; he is willing to lay down his life for his sheep.
Likewise, a master gardener prepares good soil and inspects his plants. Once a master gardener identifies a problem with his plants, he then prunes the branches in his vineyard or garden to bear more fruit or flowers. The plant is touched by the gardener and the branches submit to painful pruning. The alternative is a fruitless or flowerless plant that would be cut down, gathered, and burned. We should willingly submit our lives to Yahusha, our Master Gardener, to remove those things that do not align with His Word or would cause others to stumble, especially during His moedim.
As His kingdom of priests, we care for all aspects of His temple, individually and corporately, as the ‘one new man’ with Yahusha as the head [Col 1:18]. We prepare for His feasts to minimize or avoid sinful spots, blemishes, parasites, and any mixing of profanity with purity. Preparation is an individual responsibility and a corporate responsibility. Spots and blemishes can move from plant to plant; sheep to sheep; believer to believer and ‘sicken’ the body of ‘The One New Man.’ The answer is our daily washing in His Word both individually and corporately; confessing our sins to Yahusha and one another; exhibiting true repentance; forgiving ourselves and forgiving those that trespass against us; and being devoted to walking in obedience to our Marriage Covenant with Him.
Ignoring our issues or making excuses will not heal us or the body of believers as we mature and grow. Going along to ‘get along’ is not the answer. Having a moedim fellowship our way and not His way, is not acceptable. If issues are left unaddressed, they can grow bigger and become deeply rooted in our lives and we become leprous; ‘sickened by sin.’ This leads to poor health: mentally, physically, psychologically, emotionally, and/or spiritually. Leaven, which is sin and the added doctrine of men, must be promptly dealt with.
We live in a fallen world full of unclean ‘leprosy’ and 'dead men' walking. We fight battles within and without. We win some and we lose some. Worldly ‘leprosy’ of the ‘old man’ bears the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit. One doesn’t leave a rotting tomato or potato next to other fruit and vegetables. Likewise, as His kingdom of priests, we should be good ‘fruit’ inspectors in our own lives, in the lives around us, and especially at His moedim, our ‘wedding rehearsals.’ Individually and corporately, we are known by the ‘fruit’ we bear. Do our moedim with Him offer up a sweet-smelling aroma or a Nadab and Abihu ‘strange fire’ stench in His nostrils? May we read the following verses and selah.
Gal 5:16 And I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not accomplish the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you desire to do.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under Torah.
Gal 5:19 And the works of the flesh are well-known, which are these: adultery(a), whoring, uncleanness, indecency, Footnote: (a)Some manuscripts omit adultery.
Gal 5:20 idolatry, drug sorcery, hatred, quarrels, jealousies, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,
Gal 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, wild parties, and the like – of which I forewarn you, even as I also said before, that those who practice such as these shall not inherit the reign of Elohim.b Footnote: bSee 1Co_6:10.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no Torah.
Gal 5:24 And those who are of Messiah have impaled the flesh with its passions and the desires.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
We can choose to cover ourselves with the ‘fig leaves’ of excuses; cover others that we love with ‘fig leaves’ of excuses; or we can choose to expose and treat the sinful spot or blemish. If a gardener or shepherd makes excuses for a sickly garden or flock, would that be showing His love? No! But, if a gardener picks up the shears or the shepherd physically disciplines rebellious sheep for good and not for evil, is that showing love? Yes! Was that not the purpose of Yahusha’s 7 letters to the 7 assemblies in Revelation 2 & 3? Selah.
Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the appeal which speaks to you as to sons, “My son, do not despise the discipline of יהוה, nor faint when you are reproved by Him,
Heb 12:6 for whom יהוה loves, He disciplines, and flogs every son whom He receives.”Pro_3:11-12.
The Word is living and breathing and sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word is Truth. The Word is Life. The Word is to be guarded. The Word is to be front and center. The Word is His Living Water. The Word is our Bread. The Word is our Healer. The Word is our Protector. The Word IS Yahusha HaMashiach, our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. One day soon, we will receive the last phase of set-apartness, our bodily glorification. This my friend will occur on a moedim. Are we ready? Selah.
The Good Shepherd has gone before us to prepare the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.
Psalm 23
1 YHWH is my shepherd; I do not lack.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.
3 He turns back my being; He leads me in paths of righteousness For His Name’s sake.
4 When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread before me a table in the face of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Only goodness and kindness follow me All the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the House of יהוה, To the length of days!
"Israel" means to strive with El, to overcome with El. HalleluYAH!
Shalom in Him on this 24th day of our Omer Count. Be Overcomers in El! Libby
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