Relevant

THE JEALOUS YAH

Sermon by Brother Pius, Kenya, Africa

Before Moses surrenders the leadership of Israel to Joshua, he exhorts the people to keep Yah's Torah and to live in obedience to Yah's ways so that they may take possession of the Land. He tells them:

“Now, Israel, listen to the laws and rulings I am teaching you, in order to follow them, so that you will live; then you will go in and take possession of the land that Yah ,  Yah of your fathers, is giving you.”  (Deuteronomy 4:1)

Moses reminds the children of Israel how they stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments.  He warns them not to forget the Torah of Yah, and to diligently teach Yah's Commandments to their children and grand children.

In telling them this, he reminds them three times that Yah spoke from the fire at Sinai in which He did not have a form.  Therefore, because they saw no image of Yah, they are not to carve for themselves images of Yah, which is detrimental to faith, nor of other gods, which is idolatry.This prohibition of the making of carved images is accompanied by the warning that Yah is a consuming fire:

"Watch out for yourselves, so that you won’t forget the covenant of  Abba Yah, which He made with you, and make yourself a carved image, a representation of anything forbidden to you by Yah. For Abba your Yah is a consuming fire, a Jealous Yah  " (Deuteronomy 4:23–24) 

The name of Yah used in this verse is Jealous Yah. This name is also mentioned in Deuteronomy. 5:9, 6:15 and Exodus.34:14 .

The names and titles of Yah declare to the world who He is. They also answer our deepest questions regarding our relationship to Yah.

In fact, the covenant Yah made with Israel at Mount Sinai is likened to a marriage ceremony, complete with the cloud covering symbolizing  the marriage canopy  and the marriage contract, outlining the responsibilities and privileges of both bride and bridegroom and the agreed upon vows.

Halleluyah!!!, Yah is therefore, asking His people to be faithful unto Him, forsake all other gods. All forms of idolatry and worship of false gods is “spiritual adultery,” and can be likened to an unfaithful spouse who commits adultery.

Yah is lovingly and faithfully watches over His Bride, and jealously guards her, like a passionate husband protecting His bride.

Yah deal with unfaithfulness and exile them:

“Yah will scatter you among the peoples; and among the nations to which Abba Yah will lead you away, you will be left few in number.”  (Deuteronomy 4:27).

Moses here prophesies the tragic consequence of Israel straying from their devotion to Yah and turning to Idols. They would be sent into Exile and scattered to the four corners of the earth.

 This is exactly what happened when the Babylonians and the Romans destroyed the Holy Temple and Jerusalem.

However, Yah is merciful; He promised that if the people would repent and turn back to Him with all of their heart and soul, then He would relent and bring them back to the Land:

“In your distress, when all these things have come upon you, in the last days , you will return to Yah and listen to what He says; for your Yah is a merciful Yah.He will not fail you,destroy you,or forget the covenant with your ancestors which He swore to them ”  (Deuteronomy 4:30–31)

This miracle has happened in our very generation as Jewish people are returning to the Land of our forefathers from the north, south, east and west.  It is not because of our righteousness that we have come back to the Land, but because of the covenant Yah made with our ancestors. Indeed, in fulfillment of a great number of prophecies, including those of Moses, Yah did bring His people home from Babylon.In this last days, He is once again bringing His people home.

Comfort my people:

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your Yah.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Yah’s hand double for all her sins.”  (Isaiah 40:1–2)

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Yah; make straight in the desert a highway for our Yah.  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  And the glory of the Yah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Yah has spoken.’”  (Isaiah 40:3–5)

This prophecy of Isaiah would likely have been understood by the Israelites as an allusion to the ancient practice of eastern monarchs sending harbingers before them to prepare the way, leveling roads and removing impediments for the king.  

Just as these monarchs prepared the way before themselves, Yah prepared the way before the Jewish slaves in Egypt, leading them to their Promised Land.  He would prepare the way again before the Jewish exiles in Babylon, leading them home.

And He has prepared the way again, leading the Jews scattered throughout the nations (the Diaspora) back to a restored Land of Israel.

  Yah confirms the trustworthiness of this promise, stating that while all flesh is like grass, Yah’s Word stands firm forever.  Yah is watching over His Word to perform it and His promise to restore and save Israel is reliable and can be trusted by all.

Only Yah’s Word can restore what seems unrestorable, reconcile what seems irreconcilable, and comfort those who are without comfort.

The greatest comfort any Jewish person can receive is the security in knowing that their sins have been paid for once and for all by Yashua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).

May Yah Bless you, May His face shine upon you and be Kept in His eternal mercies as you ready this precious sermon.

Your servant in Yah,

Brother: Pius, Kenya, Africa