2011.02.08 Faith, sacrifice, obedience, discipline, words and deeds Created by host on 6/23/2013 4:21:48 AM A discussion relating to faith, sacrifice, obedience, discipline, words and deeds
2011.02.08
Faith, sacrifice, obedience, discipline, words and deeds
by
James Robertson
Download pdf version
Listening to Leviticus and Numbers over the past few days I have been struck by the importance of faith, sacrifice, obedience, discipline, words and deeds in the detailed rituals prescribed by Yah in those writings.
If you pay careful attention to all the rites that are prescribed, be it for atonement for sin or trespass, cleansing from defilement, gifts to Yah, etc they are all in a sense arbitrary and in themselves meaningless acts.
Slaughtering an animal does not bring forgiveness for sin, just as slaughtering a man does not bring forgiveness for sin.
All these actions have symbolic meaning to Yah and to man but the essence of these acts is:
-
Faith – belief that the act of slaughtering the animal and sprinkling its blood would bring cleansing or atonement or forgiveness, etc.
-
Sacrifice – taking something of value – a Ram (male goat) without blemish and killing it as a gift to Yah – personal loss in material terms.
-
Obedience – performing the ritual just as was prescribed by Yah – it did not have to make sense but by faith it made sense and it was believed that it would accomplish the purpose, such as forgiveness from sin, for which Yah had instituted the ritual.
-
Discipline – doing it whether they wanted to or not, obedience because it is the right thing to do.
-
Words – all of this was put in place with words, without words nothing was instituted – the words have no power in and of themselves but the actions that flowed from the words put in place powerful symbolic spiritual acts that had significance because Yah gave them significance.
-
Deeds – acting on the words – putting them into practice.
Thus a key element of relationship with Yah under the covenant of Moshe {Moses} was represented by symbolic acts in response to words (commandments) – I have faith, therefore I sacrifice in obedience in a disciplined manner based on the words that were spoken resulting in actions.
In the same manner we are required to act this way under the new and better covenant ushered in by Yahooshua with the benefit that we no longer need animals or other men to act as priests.
You might like to ask yourself in the context of your current walk with Yah:
-
Do I have faith that is evident by my actions?
-
Do I sacrifice something of value to Yah – my time, my sleep, my cash, …?
-
Am I disciplined in my service of Yah?
-
Do I pay careful attention to Yah's words and am I careful with my own?
-
Are my actions a manifestation of faith exercised with sacrifice in obedience in a disciplined manner manifesting in words and deeds?
May Yah bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
Download pdf version
The comment feature is locked by administrator.
Return