Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Your Word is a lamp to my feet

It still often amazes me how people can take a verse here and there and use it so out of context that the original writers of the verses would never recognize the way it is being used in today’s times. And then they believe that it is truthful and build an entire teaching that is foreign to the teachings of the Scriptures because the basis of the teachings are way out of context to start off with. But at the same time I know how these people are so deceived, because I too was in my earlier years. It was only when I started noticing contradictions within the churches teachings, that are universal to all the churches that I had attended, that I started doing a lot of reading, studying and research for myself. (This happened many years ago)

What I found is that a lot of what the church teaches is pure superstition based on the incorrect context of many verses in the bible and the opinions of the teachers themselves. This is why there are many thousands of different Church denominations, each teaching their own opinions. In fact, the fundamental church doctrines are not based on the Scriptures but rather upon the anti-Semitic Jew hating early church fathers and their personal teachings. The problem is that the church goers trust the pastors and priests way too much without actually testing any of what they teach. What we land up with is a lot of buzz words and phrases, but do not really have a proper understanding of what they mean.

Psalm 119:105 is one verse that is used a lot within the Christian church and is even one of their favorite hymns to sing. But do they really believe this to be true in the correct context, or is it a superstitious buzz phrase to keep themselves happy and satisfied? Let us then read this verse and understand it in its correct context for once. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

The subject of this verse is the Word of the Almighty. King David, the author of this Psalm, is making it clear that what guided his actions and every step he took, was the Word of the Almighty. Can this fact be changed over time? The answer is a definite NO. This man, David, who was called, “a man after My own heart” by the Almighty Himself, authored many Psalms praising the wonderful Word of YHWH.

So what was king David referring to as the Word of YHWH that is a lamp and a light that illuminates his walk? Who better to turn to than the person who was considered to be the wisest of all men, and who was entrusted to build the house for the Shechina (presence of the Almighty), the Temple, and who is the son of the author of Psalm 119. King Sh’lomo wrote the following, “For the command is a lamp, And the Torah a light, And reproofs of discipline a way of life” (Proverbs 6:23). Here Sh’lomo makes it very clear that the Commandments are a lamp and that the Torah is a light. The term, “Commandments” is a simile for the term, “Torah” as it is the Torah that holds all the Commandments. Just as a ‘lamp’ is a simile for ‘light’ as the function of a lamp is to give light.

In the Christian religion, the problem arises when they claim this verse and sing it in hymns etc. but then in the same breath, they reject the Torah and the Commandments. The rejection of the Torah is literally the opposite action to what Psalm 119:105 teaches. If someone proclaims or sings this verse of Psalm 119:105, and then does not walk in the light of the Torah and the Commandments, then that person is a liar. Some people are even fooled into believing that the ‘New Testament’ is the Word of YHWH spoken of in Psalm 119. If you are one of these people, then ask yourself the question, Did the ‘New Testament’ exist at the time when King David wrote this Psalm? Or was David referring to the Torah? If the ‘New Testament’ is being referred to, then it must be the same context and contents as that of the Torah as it never existed at the time of the writing of the Psalms, but the Torah was.

We see the same thing when we read the prophets, “Grass shall wither, the flower shall fade, but the Word of our Elohim stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8). Did the ‘New Testament’ exist when Yeshayahu (Isaiah) wrote this? If the Torah was what Yeshayahu was speaking of, then it is the Torah that stands forever. So is the Word of YHWH that exists today different to that of the Word of YHWH that Yeshayahu knew and wrote about?

The author of Psalm 119:105 (quoted above) also wrote the following: “The Torah of יהוה (YHWH) is perfect, bringing back the being; The witness of יהוה (YHWH) is trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). So if the Torah is perfect and stands forever, then why is it necessary to change or do away with or even need something better? How can anything that is perfect be bettered?

Let us have a look at some references in the ‘New Testament’ regarding this topic. “So that the Torah truly is set-apart, and the command set-apart, and righteous, and good” (Rom 7:12). Sha’ul (Paul, as the Catholic Church calls him) is speaking of the Torah as good and righteous and set-apart, and not as a curse as many Christians claim. He also refers to the Hebrew Tanakh (Old Testament, as the Catholic Church calls it) as Scripture and that we need to use it for teaching, reproof, setting straight and the instruction in righteousness, “All Scripture is breathed by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).

It is very clear that the Torah of YHWH is perfect and eternal. No person has the authority to decide otherwise. In fact, not even the Almighty can change His Word, however, this is irrelevant as His Word is already perfect and need not ever be changed. We do not have the choice of how we want to serve YHWH the Almighty. The only choice we do have is between serving Him or not. If we choose to serve YHWH, then we need to do it His way. That is however a good thing as He has given us the manual to do so, the Torah.

May we all study His Word and DO His Word so that we may walk on the derech tzedakah (way of righteousness)