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.

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.

Torah Keeping in the New Covenant

The Torah is often misconstrued as a legalistic law given to us by a grumpy God as some sort of temporary appeasement until his son would get out of bed and come downstairs to fix things. And, yes, YHWH allowed the Levitical Temple system to temporarily stand in for the blood of Yahusha. However, YHWH never meant for his instructions to be written off later. Rather they are a permanent guide from a loving Father to teach us how we can live in a way that is best for us and most honoring to him.

Reading through the Old Testament it is easy to see that the core of the stories are centered around keeping YHWH's Torah - also know as instructions or commandments. The first books of the Bible are about those who were obedient to YHWH's spoken instructions and then about receiving the Torah in writing. Judges is a cycle of things going well when the Israelites kept the word, and disaster happening when the people were disobedient by not keeping the feast days or intermarrying with those not serving YHWH. Kings is about the rulers who didn't keep the Torah, and the few who did. Ezra is a celebration of the Torah. King David wrote Psalms about the Torah being more valuable than millions in gold. King Josiah tore his clothes when a Torah scroll was found in the Temple, fore he realized YHWH was angry they weren't keeping it. Nehemiah is a return of the walls of Jerusalem and the set apart times of YHWH. Daniel is the story of a man who refused to break Scripture's dietary commands by eating unclean animals. There are prophecies of the destruction that comes on nations who are disobedient to Torah, and the hope of a greater day when YHWH's instructions are honored. The Proverbs admonish us to keep the Torah. The whole thing is about that. Surprising as it may be, YHWH's Word is about keeping YHWH's word.

So we can see the significance of YHWH's instructions take in 2/3 of the canon of Scripture. But what about the rest of it? Once you read of the beauty and the value of YHWH's word it is hard to swallow the idea of 'he got rid of that and now we don't have to keep the Torah anymore' that the traditions of Christianity push. A closer look at the New Covenant reveals that the Messiah and his followers kept and honored the Torah.

Torah Keeping in the New Testament

"I did not come to abolish the Torah." -Matthew 5:17

This statement alone should send us into prayer and reevaluation of the what we have been taught. The Messiah said so himself that he wasn't getting rid of YHWH's instructions.

"I will put my Torah in their minds, and write it on their hearts." - Hebrews 8:10

The book of Hebrews was written some thirty years after the Messiah's death and YHWH still desired the hearts and minds of his people to be filled with his instructions.

"Let everyone who names the name of Messiah depart from Torah-breaking." -2 Timothy 2:19
Faith in the Messiah does not let us off the hook to act however we please. Paul is telling us that if we are going to claim to be believers in Messiah we had better start honoring his word.

"I have never eaten food that was unclean." - Acts 10:14

This statement from Peter is a big clue. He made this statement years after the ascension of Yahusha. That whole time he never considered it okay to violate the dietary instructions. Why? Because the Messiah never taught that.

"The doers of the Torah are being made righteous." -Romans 2:13

This tells us that Torah observance is a sign that YHWH is working in that person to make them righteous. In the same way, if you want to be made righteous you should start keeping the commandments.

"By going after the error of the Torahless, you fall." - 2 Peter 3:17

Peter not only taught that disregarding the Torah was an error but one that is damaging and destructive!

"What good is it if someone has faith but has no actions to prove it?" -James 2:14
Much of the writings of the Messiah's half-brother and leader of the Israaelite congregation are devoted to reminding us that simply having faith is not enough. Faith alone is a starting point, but then we are called to take steps of obedience. James questioned the supposed faith of those who weren't willing to prove it by putting the Torah instructions into practice.

"Lot was tormented with the filthy conduct of those without Torah." -2 Peter 2:7

One of Yahusha's most trusted disciples and leaders of The Way said this. The conduct of those without Torah is tormenting to the righteous. Believers should be saddened when someone disobeys the Word.

"Sin is the transgression of Torah." -1 John 3:4

Decades after the Messiah, sin was still defined by violating the commandments of YHWH. This is no different today. More on how the New Testament defines sin here.

"All the Scriptures are given by YHWH and are profitable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting of faults, and training in righteousness." - 2 Timothy 3:16

There was no "New Testament" when Paul wrote this. He is talking about the whole of the Old Testament, including YHWH's instructions. He still viewed them as the measures for what sin is, knowing truth, and righteous living.

"Acting contrary to the Torah insults Elohim himself." -Romans 2:23

YHWH is insulted when we are unwilling to keep his commandments.

"Keeping the Torah of YHWH is everything." -1 Corinthians 7:19

Yes, the instructions of YHWH like Sabbath guarding, clean eating, and the feast days. Paul tells us these should be of the utmost importance to us.

"Be doers of the Torah, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves." -James 1:22

A person believes lies when they decide it's important to study Scripture but that they are not required to implement it in their lives. While they may be deceived by this, YHWH is not.

Praying Psalm 78 - That the Generations to Come Would Know the Torah

The 78th Psalm jumped out at me recently.

Give ear, o my people, to my Torah: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. (Verse 1)

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a Torah in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the final generation to come might know them, even the children who would be born, who would arise and declare them to their own children, that they might see their hope in YHWH and not forget his works, but keep his commandments. (Verse 5-7)

Let's make this our prayer shall we? That our ears would be inclined to the words of YHWH and that all the generations would know his Torah and remember his amazing works!

A prayer from Psalm 78:

YHWH, give your people ears to hear your Torah. Let us incline our ears to your words. Give us understanding and teach us who you are. Don't let us hide your words from our families and friends. Give us wisdom and creativity to share your truth in all areas of our lives. Help us to teach your word to our children, that every generation would praise you, YHWH. Let every generation know your strength and remember the wonderful works you have done, both in our lives and your mighty acts for our spiritual and physical ancestors in Scripture. Let all the generations know of your great Torah. Let the final generation to come know your Torah, your truth, and keep your commandments. Even the children who have yet to be born: let them arise and declare your word. Let us and all the generations set our hope upon you, YHWH. Don't let us forget your works and help us to keep your commandments.

More:
How to Pray for Our World + Verse on Prayer
Praying Psalm 1
Seven Simple Ways to Pray More

Good Mitzvoth

Good mitzvoth bring glory, honor, and peace to those that do them. Romans 2:10 tells us that.

"Tifereth, honor, and shalom, to every man that does tov mitzvoth, to the Yahudi first, and also to the Greek and Aramean."

Or in more simple English: "Glory, honor, and peace, to everyone that does good mitzvoth, to the Jew first, and also to the Northern Tribes and the foreigners grafted in."

We should all do good mitzvoth. 

What is a mitzvoth? Mitzvoth is usually translated as "works" but that is an incomplete picture of the word.

Mitzvoth = YHWH's Commandments, or Man's Obedient Deeds, or Obedient Works of Torah Done in Submisison and Willingness.

This is a New Testament verse telling us that their is honor in keeping YHWH's commands that are found in the Torah.

This is a verse saying that obedience to YHWH's instructions gives us peace.

Setting apart Shabbat is honorable.

Honoring your parents will give you peace.

Having no gods but YHWH brings glory.

Not coveting your neighbor's possessions is peaceful.

You will be honored for not stealing.

While many believe that Yahusha "set us free from the law," most of us wouldn't say there's not room for more shalom in our lives. Obedience to YHWH's commandments is not a question of salvation but of how we want to live. He desires all of us to walk honorably in his glory with peace.

Five Scriptures To Keep Today

Th Most of us desire to live in a way that honors God, but sometimes it can be unclear of how to do that. The easiest way to start is very simple, start doing what the Bible says! While there are challenges to keeping the commandments in a secular society, Deuteronomy 30:11 says that it is not too hard for us.

These are a few examples of how we can live out certain Scriptures in order to honor YHWH. Of course there are many others that we are not covering today, and this is by no means an exhaustive list! But hopefully it gets us thinking about often overlooked Biblical instructions that are simple and beneficial. 

-Remember the name of YHWH. In Exodus 3:15 God tells Moses that his name is YHWH forever, and that his name is a memorial to all generations, and not taking his name in vain, and thereby forgetting it is one of the ten commandments. Refer to God by YHWH at least once today as a way to remember his true name and to distinguish the Living God from the 'gods' of other religions. 

-"Speak only beneficial words." -Ephesians 4:29 Is complaining about your boss going to improve the situation? Will being rude to the cashier make her day better? Ephesians goes on to say get rid of bitter and angry speech, gossiping, loud yelling, coarse jokes, and insults. It says we should give thanks instead. Watch your words today and offer a sincere thank you to a family member or coworker. Fill your words with gratitude and encouragement.

-Honor your parents. There are no perfect parents but honor them anyway. Speak highly of them to others. Be intentional about spending time with them. Make sure they know they are loved and appreciated by you! Exodus 20:12 actually says that honoring your father and mother will lead to a long life.

-Make plans not to buy anything on Saturday. Along with working, shopping is forbidden on the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:13, Nehemiah 13:5). Skip the online shopping or getting groceries until after the Sabbath. You will be keeping an instruction from YHWH and saving money as a bonus.

-Start and end the day with Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:7 says that we should speak of God's word when we go to bed and when we rise up. This could be reading a paragraph, meditating on a verse, reciting one from memory, study time, or listening to an audio Bible as you head into work. Hearing Scripture is the perfect way to align ourselves with his truth!

Related posts:
How to Have an Extraordinary Life
How to Stop Working on the Sabbath

Six Reasons to Keep the Sabbath Today