Time to Seek...and Find

Shalom Fellow Israelite,

It seems that almost overnight our life’s circumstances and conditions have changed drastically.  Not that it came as a surprise.  Many have been warning that life in this world of iniquity and sin could not go on without suffering the consequences of what is stated in the Torah. How interesting that all at once much of the anti-Torah-anti-Elohim activities have been forced to come to a screeching halt! Just think, the markets in the Far East, selling the meat of animals which are an abomination if being consumed by humans; the pollution of the planet has been reduced considerably; Shabbat observance has been ‘forced’ on us; activities of lewdness and debauchery can no longer take place; incidents of crime and car accidents are much fewer, and the greed which marks so much of the economic activity is lessened to a large degree, as much of the economic activity is at a standstill. In Scripture we find this principle in Leviticus 26:33-34, and its fulfillment described in 2^nd Chronicles 36:20-21: “And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon … to fulfill the word of YHVH by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete”. Hence, during this season there is a form of restitution (TIKKUN in Hebrew) which is taking place, and may it signal the fulfillment of YHVH’s Word with many willing participants.

Therefore this is a time to rejoice, as it is written:  “With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9).  I might add, ‘the hard way’.

As I was pondering this scripture four words came bursting out at me, “I will seek You”.  Indeed at a time of crisis many start seeking for help, especially from their “God”.  Others may see it as an opportunity for a “Messiah” to come and save them out of a given difficulty.  We, as believers in the redemptive work of YHVH through Yeshua, may view this time as (the beginning of the) birth pangs of His coming, in accordance with Yeshua’s own words in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.  In this address Yeshua cautioned that when “…anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Messiah'; or, 'Behold, He is there'; do not believe him;  for false Messiahs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order, if possible, to lead the elect astray” (Mark 13:21-22 emphasis added). 

One of the main reasons that the elect could be so deceived is that they do not have a firm foundation of knowing Yeshua’s presence in their innermost being.   A scriptural example of this are the Corinthian believers.   They were so ‘fleshly’ that at first they could not even ingest “the milk of the gospel”.  Paul’s letters to this congregation (teachings, exhortations and encouragements) were the longest of any of his letters to the other assemblies.  He also found it necessary to visit them at least three times, as did also Apollo and Timothy.  The content of his letters to them is permeated with a great deal of frustration, as he was trying to get through to them the good news, especially that they, as believers, were in Messiah and that Messiah Yeshua was in them.  They heard him say that they are the corporate temple of His presence (see 1 Corinthians 3:16), or “the body of the Messiah” (see 1 Corinthians 10:16; 12:27), and that they have a treasure (of His Spirit) in their earthen vessels (see 2 Corinthians 4:7).

Upon Paul’s third visit with them, and because of their continued lack of maturity and unbelief, his patience ran out and in an almost outburst of anger he exhorted them to examine their faith:  “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that, Yeshua the Messiah is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5 emphasis added).  We, as those who believe in His indwelling presence, should have no problem to seek Him.  “I in you and you in me” (see John 14:20) is our reality 24/7.  What’s more - we cannot be deceived when someone says:   'Behold, here is the Messiah'; or, 'Behold, He is there'.  Because we are living in a very dark hour of history, knowing His presence within and the purpose for our election is extremely important to our Elohim and to His prophetic plans. Read carefully the following:

“For Elohim who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Elohim in the face of Messiah.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of Elohim and not from ourselves…” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).