Sea of Galilea My heart is full. Full of joy at the opportunity to have been privileged to visit the land of Israel. Full of gratitude for being brought face to face with people and places I would not have known otherwise. And full of grief for what is coming.
What Can Be Shaken Will Be Shaken
Scripture speaks of major shakings. We remember the quaking of Mt. Sanai when the Word was given, how the giving of that Word not only caused the mountain to shake, but brought a spiritual shaking throughout the world. Again the earth shook when the only begotten son of the Living El took on the sins of the world and again caused a spiritual shaking unparalleled even to this day.
The passage in Hebrews 12 talks about an end times shaking. Most of the time we interpret this to mean the days just before the return of Yeshua, however, the author of Hebrews identifies these days as the time between His first coming and His second coming. So, in essence we have been living in the end times for around two thousand years. From what I can gather, this means ongoing shakings; times when everything will become disoriented and turned upside down. YHVH Himself says He does this shaking. Do you suppose that the shakings are intended to get our attention so we return to the right path?
There are many things we could point to which are being shaken today. Probably the one we would all identify with is government, as well as banking, education, medicine, science. And these are serious problems, but I want to discuss the shaking of faith.
I recently returned from spending 10 glorious days in eretz Israel - the land of Israel! In spite of the issues there, I have experienced a sense of “being home” both times I have been. Spiritual awareness is heightened, an alertness that can only be explained by the special attention of YHVH for this piece of real estate.
Factions that exist in Israel exist everywhere. Even within Judaism there are factions. How do we know what is right? How do we secure righteousness? How do we maintain it? How do you know that you know that you know? Questions are everywhere. Interpretations are everywhere. Who is God? Who is Messiah?
YHVH is Spirit. The spiritual is spiritually discerned. The mind can only go so far without the Spirit. Since the first disobedience, the need to know has trumped the need to obey. Scripture is clear that knowledge without discernment is folly.
Consider Solomon, believed to be the wisest man who ever lived, and yet with all his getting of knowledge and wisdom, his soul was vexed. Emptiness and despair are echoed in his words, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Also taken to mean, futile, pointless, meaningless. Why?
See Ecc. chapter 1. In chapter 2, Solomon is consumed with himself - I, I, I, I. In the end, he speaks:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecc. 12:13)
When Yeshua haMashiach comes, will He find faith in the earth? Faith without works is dead. Works without faith is meaningless. Knowing about YHVH and knowing Him are two separate things. Knowing stuff and keeping rules, or being able to debate someone into the ground does not necessarily connect you to the Creator of the Universe. What you know about YHVH must become who you are if it is to bring honor to YHVH. Love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your muchness, and your neighbor as yourself. Do I live the Scripture I know? That is the biggest question of all.
Hebrews 12:25-27: See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
What Can Be Shaken Will Be Shaken
Scripture speaks of major shakings. We remember the quaking of Mt. Sanai when the Word was given, how the giving of that Word not only caused the mountain to shake, but brought a spiritual shaking throughout the world. Again the earth shook when the only begotten son of the Living El took on the sins of the world and again caused a spiritual shaking unparalleled even to this day.
The passage in Hebrews 12 talks about an end times shaking. Most of the time we interpret this to mean the days just before the return of Yeshua, however, the author of Hebrews identifies these days as the time between His first coming and His second coming. So, in essence we have been living in the end times for around two thousand years. From what I can gather, this means ongoing shakings; times when everything will become disoriented and turned upside down. YHVH Himself says He does this shaking. Do you suppose that the shakings are intended to get our attention so we return to the right path?
There are many things we could point to which are being shaken today. Probably the one we would all identify with is government, as well as banking, education, medicine, science. And these are serious problems, but I want to discuss the shaking of faith.
I recently returned from spending 10 glorious days in eretz Israel - the land of Israel! In spite of the issues there, I have experienced a sense of “being home” both times I have been. Spiritual awareness is heightened, an alertness that can only be explained by the special attention of YHVH for this piece of real estate.
Factions that exist in Israel exist everywhere. Even within Judaism there are factions. How do we know what is right? How do we secure righteousness? How do we maintain it? How do you know that you know that you know? Questions are everywhere. Interpretations are everywhere. Who is God? Who is Messiah?
YHVH is Spirit. The spiritual is spiritually discerned. The mind can only go so far without the Spirit. Since the first disobedience, the need to know has trumped the need to obey. Scripture is clear that knowledge without discernment is folly.
- Knowledge is information gained from your senses, observation, instruction, experience. Knowledge alone is amoral, that is without inherent goodness or badness.
- Wisdom is insight regarding knowledge that allows you to apply or put into practice the knowledge for a purpose, which can be either benevolent or malevolent.
- Discernment/understanding is spiritual perception to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, to use knowledge and wisdom for the advancement of YHVH’s kingdom.
Consider Solomon, believed to be the wisest man who ever lived, and yet with all his getting of knowledge and wisdom, his soul was vexed. Emptiness and despair are echoed in his words, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Also taken to mean, futile, pointless, meaningless. Why?
See Ecc. chapter 1. In chapter 2, Solomon is consumed with himself - I, I, I, I. In the end, he speaks:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecc. 12:13)
When Yeshua haMashiach comes, will He find faith in the earth? Faith without works is dead. Works without faith is meaningless. Knowing about YHVH and knowing Him are two separate things. Knowing stuff and keeping rules, or being able to debate someone into the ground does not necessarily connect you to the Creator of the Universe. What you know about YHVH must become who you are if it is to bring honor to YHVH. Love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your muchness, and your neighbor as yourself. Do I live the Scripture I know? That is the biggest question of all.
Hebrews 12:25-27: See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
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