Against Babylon

For people who are Torah pursuant, this past week has been most difficult. It will probably be just as difficult next week, too, as these popular festivities unfold. Naturally, I am talking about the feasts commonly known as Christmas and New Year's Day, but have since ancient times been celebrated as Saturnalia and Janus. Being Torah pursuant, I see the fertility symbols behind the tree and the tree skirt; the mistletoe and the holly. I see the convoluted thinking that says we give gifts to each other because it is “Christ's birthday” and try not to roll my eyes. I see the drunken debauchery that is satan's counterfeit for true joy. I think of how our heavenly Father must be so hurt that the people that call on His Name are twisting the Gospel story to serve their own pleasures and ambitions. And in a few days, people will be celebrating the feast of Janus, the two headed god that looks ahead to the future and behind to the past. Unknowingly, they will listen to and watch TV specials that capture the year in review, and they will make New Year's resolutions to control their future, not realizing that they are practicing ancient rites. And then there is the drunken debauchery thing again ... “ringing” in the New Year, they'll call it.

There is a way that seems right to a man, says Proverbs 14:12 & Proverbs 16:25, but the way thereof is death. And, YHVH gave His only begotten Son, so that none should perish says John 3:16, but have life everlasting. Hebrews 6:6 says that by willful sin they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.

So, how can we pray for those friends and family members that “just don't get it”? First of all, our motivations must be pure. We have to approach this with an attitude of love, and not let it be a contest of wills, for that is nothing other than manipulation and witchcraft. Humbly, we must consider how long it took for us to “get it” and put away any pride over having “gotten it,” because we did not “get it” on our own. It was YHVH's mercy ALONE that allowed the scales to be taken from our eyes so that we could see what we were doing; so that we could see the vast distance between our own actions and the Word of Yah. So we start with repentance, for our own shortcomings and for theirs. We pray that YHVH in His mercy will hear our prayer for their highest good and remove the scales from their eyes. We must not give into the temptation to use sarcasm or try to control their activities. Lastly, we must realize they are YHVH's baby too, and sometimes, you just gotta let go. This affords our Father the opportunity to deal with them without interference or any rescuing on our part. Experience is an expensive school, but some will learn no other way.

This week's blog is, by admission, a expose' of my own spiritual wranglings. Those who mean the world to me think I am a nut-job because I choose to not participate in the festivities they find so wonderful. But, in the words of a song by Lenny and Varda, “I choose Life, I choose Blessing, I choose to live by [Yah's] Word / I choose to follow You, my L-rd. (Song: I Choose Life from the CD Torah is Life © Adonai Echad Music 2004) They think – or, rather, I presume they think – that they can do what they want without having to face judgment. I'm sure they would tell me that there is nothing wrong with parties, gifts, drinking etc. They are right! There is nothing wrong with parties, gifts and drinking. What's wrong is forsaking the feasts YHVH gave us. If we say we follow Y'shua – even if we're still calling Him Jesus – then follow Him! Do the things He did, celebrate the feasts He celebrated. Consider holy / set-apart what He considered holy / set-apart and eschew (to avoid something on moral or practical grounds) the things He eschewed. He is, after all, the Word of Yah in the flesh!

So how is all this “Against Babylon”? YHVH, in Genesis 3 mentions two seeds. The seed of the woman, which we understand to be Messiah Y'shua; and the seed of the serpent, the world system, that is, anything that is apart from or different from Yah's Word-in-the-flesh, Y'shua. It is really black and white. We are either YHVH's servants or Babylon's. We are either promoting YHVH's kingdom or Babylon. In Revelation 18:4, YHVH pleads with us, “Come out of [Babylon] My people, so you will not take part in her sins and you will not receive her plagues.”

Recently, in response to something I said about keeping Sabbath, someone called me 'elitist'. Although offended at the time, I see their point. They are right. Narrow is the gate that leads to eternal life and broad is the way to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Only a few will travel that narrow road. I am pursuing it and I pray their spiritual GPS can find it. Soon. Every day we spend is another day we don't have.

Shalom b'shem Sar Shalom / Peace in the Name of the Prince of Peace

Yocheved