King David's Final Advice

I'm sure we are all familiar with David from the Bible...the shepherd boy who became king. He slayed Goliath, penned many of the Psalms, fled from King Saul, and eventually ruled over all of Israel. He was a man of great courage who fought many battles, he was devoted to YHWH and there are many stories of his adventures in Scripture. But we don't often talk about the end of his life.

When David was dying he poured his heart out to his son Solomon, who would proceed him in rule. He prayed for him and gave him the very best advice he could. A friend of mine had a similar experience when her beloved grandfather was dying. Each grandchild went to him and he prayed over them and poured into them one last time. The experience was rich and meaningful, and she remembers his words years later. And you know what both men talked about? It wasn't small talk about the weather, professional sports, or politics. They focused on the important stuff.

Doesn't that make sense? If you can only say one thing to a loved one, or if you're running out of time with someone you don't just blabber nonsense. You don't spout off cliches. You focus on the most important truths.

So what did this great king say to his son?

"Guard the charge of YHWH your Elohim: to walk in his ways, to guard his laws and guard his commands, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, so that you do wisely in all that you do." -1 Kings 2:3

Guard the commandments! Do what Scripture says! Honor YHWH! Keep the Torah!

The best wisdom one of Israel's greatest kings could impart to his heir - and to us - was to keep the commandments of Scripture. It wasn't a bullet-point breakdown of how to defeat Goliath. He didn't give Solomon tips on running the nation. He didn't give a generic, "just love everybody," piece of advice. He didn't talk about practicing self care or how to be a mighty warrior. He focused on the quintessential foundation for how to live. He knew that if Solomon would guard the commandments then he would also be able to defeat Goliath, he would rule with excellence, he would find rest in keeping the Sabbath; David knew that if his son would follow Scripture's instructions he would be mighty in YHWH.

The New Testament tells us that David was a man after YHWH's own heart (Acts 13:22). I've heard sermons and teachings on this topic. I've done Bible studies to learn more about David and to become more like him, also pursuing the heart of the Creator. So let's not miss the wisdom in his final advice. What message did David use some of his very last breaths to share with us? To walk in the ways of YHWH and guard his commandments!

More about keeping the commandments:
Torah Keeping in the New Covenant
Is it Possible to Keep the Torah Today?
Keeping the Law: The Ten Commandments as Marriage Vows
Scripture Defines Sin as Not Keeping the Commandments
How Much of the Torah Do Believers Already Keep?

Departing from Torah Breaking

"Let everyone who names the name of the Messiah depart from breaking the Torah." -2 Timothy 2:19

Take a second to ponder that verse...if you serve the Messiah, it's time for you to stop violating his commandments. 

It's worth noting that this is a New Testament verse. This instruction isn't just for people in Bible times or those before the Messiah. Paul wrote his letters to Timothy years after the Messiah ascended into Heaven. This verse is talking to you and me.

If we are going to follow the Messiah, then it's time for us to do what we can to stop breaking his commandments. This isn't about doing everything perfectly or being held to an impossible standard. This is about intentionally taking steps to honor the Creator. 

I like the use of "depart" in this verse because it makes me think of departing for a journey. When you prepare for a trip you are intentional, you make plans for visiting this new place. You've carefully considered the weather and what you'll need to pack. The Messiah is asking you to step out on a new journey with him. Have you thought about what you'll need to do to depart? What would it look like for your faith to grow in this way? 

What would it take for you to depart from breaking his commandments? Do you need to study Scripture to see what those instructions are? Are you feeling challenged to start taking the Sabbath day seriously? Would practical ideas for showing love to others help? Make plans for your departure now. And once you've set out on this journey keep looking at the map! The Creator does not expect you to figure it all out at once so keep growing and making changes as you continue to study the word.

What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About My Hebrew Faith

Hey there, friends! I run into a lot of misunderstandings about my faith, so I wanted to clear up a few things. For those of you who don't share my faith here's what I would love for you to know.

What I wish my Christian friends knew about my Hebrew faith:

-I believe in the Messiah! Please, please hear this: I haven't walked away from the Savior. I cherish all the stories in the New Testament of the Messiah, same as you. I believe he healed the blind, and walked on water, and threw money changers out from the Temple. I call the Messiah Yahusha because that is a better representation of his name than Jesus. But if you're talking about the Messiah, born of a virgin, died for our sins, rose from the dead, then we are on the same page.

-We have a ton in common. While there are some differences in our faiths there is far more common ground between us. Far more. Like you, I read the Old and New Testaments, and want to live a life that honors the Savior.

-What Hebrew faith means exactly. You can learn more about how I define a Hebrew here, but the gist of it is someone who accepts Yahusha as Messiah, while also being obedient to the commandments given in the Old Testament and throughout Scripture. So that means that I keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, observe the Biblical set apart times instead of cultural holidays, and eat a Biblically clean diet. Those are the basics of a Hebrew lifestyle and I do my best to honor the Creator by living this way.

-I'm not Jewish. If I had a nickel for each time someone assumed I was Jewish I would be one rich lady. But with nothing against Jewish people, I am not pretending or aspiring to be Jewish. While our faiths have a few similarities, no Jewish person would ever consider my faith to be Jewish. And I do not participate in Judaism, a faith that does not accept Yahusha as Messiah. So please don't assume something about Judaism is true of my faith. For example, while I keep Shabbat I do not observe Jewish law that says you have to speak certain blessings, eat challah bread, and light candles in order to do so. The Hebrew faith is much more laid back than orthodox Judaism.

-I'm thrilled with the changes I've made. So often when I share about keeping the Sabbath people feel sorry for me to be "burdened" with it or tell me I am otherwise caught up in legalism, but that's not how I feel at all! I sincerely love the changes I have made and have found tremendous blessing in Sabbath observance, Biblically clean eating, and the Biblical feast days. So when I share with you about that, please know that I am not trying to give you something to do or tell you that your faith is inadequate: it's because I want you to experience the same joy and peace that I've found in these things.

-You are still a cherished friend to me. I am so grateful for you and I don't want our friendship to stop because my lifestyle is a little different than yours. Chances are, your faith is pretty similar to how I used to believe so I get where you're coming from. I want the best for you and I don't look down on you. If you've been hurt or felt slighted because I wouldn't do something on a Saturday or wouldn't try your salad with the bacon dressing, I want you to know that was not my intent. It's not because I don't like you or value you. I'm just trying to live out my convictions, and your support would mean so much!

-You are welcome to ask me questions. Really! If there's something you want to know about my beliefs or what I eat or why I made these changes or whatever else you can feel free to ask. I would love to have a heart-to-heart about faith, and it doesn't scare me if our beliefs don't 100% match.

-I don't have it all figured out. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Messiah, and that's my plan. I don't claim to be fully grown or that I've arrived at some perfect understanding of all things spiritual. I haven't. And that's okay! The Creator does not require us to have every last detail figured out, but he does expect us to grow. Growth means change and I'm willing to make adjustments in to my lifestyle and beliefs as I learn more. I hope you are too.

If you'd like to know more about my faith journey you can read about why I started keeping Shabbat, and why I stopped celebrating Christmas here.

If you have questions feel free to ask!

Dear Torah Keeper

Dear Torah Keeper,

I am proud of you.

What you are doing is beautiful. You have chosen the narrow road. It takes a strong person to reroute the course of their life. It's not easy to stand up against centuries of tradition and loads of cultural pressure. But you're doing it! And doing so well.

I am proud of you when you mark the days on your calendar for the set apart times...even when you're not sure exactly how to celebrate. I am proud of you when you work to have a restful Shabbat again this week, even though last week didn't go how you wanted it. 

I'm proud of you for having those awkward conversations where you explain that you don't eat pork or that you can't eat leavened bread one week a year. I'm cheering you on when you have those tough discussions with your family about why you're not celebrating Christmas or Easter anymore. When you comfort an upset child because they feel different than the kids in their class or on their team...you are doing a work that will transform the Kingdom.

When you get those looks, those judgmental comments, when you are misunderstood, when you feel scrutinized or not good enough because someone else keeps Torah differently than you, I am proud of you for putting what you do know into practice. While you might beat yourself up for stumbling along the narrow road, all of Heaven cheers as you work to follow the instructions of your loving Father.

You're doing great and godly things when you rearrange your life and your work in order to honor the Sabbath. These are the kind of actions that will make our world a little bit closer to what the Creator intended. I am proud of you when you share what you've learned with people who don't agree. You're shining a light that will show many people the truth.

I am so proud of you for walking on this road. For keeping the commandments even when it's hard. I'm proud of you for trying your best. YHWH sees what you're doing and it's beautiful and precious to him.

You can do this.