The First Great Commandment

And you shall love YHWH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

Deuteronomy 6:5

Matthew 22:37-40 And Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments all the Law and the Prophets hang.

(Video Version)

The First Great Commandment, to Love YHWH Elohim, is broken down for us into sub-categories that help us to understand what loving YHWH means to Him. Those sub-categories are the first four of the ten commandments. You may be wondering why we need to have loving YHWH Elohim defined for us. A quick glance at mainstream Christians is all the answer we really need: every denomination, and actually every individual, has their own ideas on how to love Him. Some people think just “feeling” it is loving Him; others follow man-made dietary restrictions, traditions, rituals, and superstitions not found anywhere in His Word; and still others believe that memorizing scripture verses, attending Sunday church services, following their own heart, and being a “good person” is loving Him. The one thing these Christians all have in common, though, is none of them asked YHWH Elohim how He wants to be loved!

Perhaps you’ve heard of something called the “love languages”. It is the idea that each of us has a way of expressing and recognizing love: our love language. If you are married to someone who feels and expresses love through physical touch but you recognize love through words of affirmation, then you may be missing each other’s expressions of love, causing your relationship to falter. Once you are both aware of how each other needs to be loved, you can change your actions to fill each other’s needs. Suddenly, you hear your spouse’s love and they feel yours.

The point is that you need to love others in the way they want to be loved, not the way you want to love them. You wouldn’t give your spouse chocolates as a gift if you knew they preferred stuffed animals, jewelry, or flowers. Showing them how much you love them would be by giving them what they want, not want you want. In exactly the same way, you are not loving YHWH Elohim when you ignore how He wants to be loved and choose to do want you want instead!

Knowing human frailty and our habit of changing our ways to suit ourselves, YHWH gave us a detailed blueprint of how He wants to be loved and called it the Torah. He wants us to love Him by: worshipping Him, not worshipping idols, respecting Him, keeping His appointed times, and loving each other. Truly, this is not too much to ask.

John 14:21-24 He that has My commandments and keeps them, it is that one who loves Me; and the one that loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and will reveal Myself to him. Judas, not the Iscariot, said to Him, Lord, what has happened that You are about to reveal Yourself to us and not at all to the world? And Jesus answered and said to him, if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him. And We will come to him and will make a dwelling-place with him. The one who does not love Me does not keep My words—and the word which you hear is not Mine, but of the Father who sent Me!

1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not heavy.

YHWH is a just Elohim. He understands that even those sub-categories of commands are confusing to obey without further explanation. This is why he broke them down into even more detailed instructions for us. He wants us to succeed at loving Him!

These more detailed instructions aren’t really more commandments, they are just better descriptions of how to obey each of the ten commandments. We have diligently gone through the Jewish list of 613 commandments to find how many there really are, in our study: How Many Commandments: 613, 10, or 2? We read through all of the source scripture and found there are sixty-eight total instructions in the Torah for us to concentrate on today. We highly recommend that you read that study if you haven’t already, as this study will then be more clear.

The First Great Commandment contains 26 of the 68 instructions. YHWH uses repetition to stress things that are important, which is why His instructions are repeated many times in scripture. We have included only a few of the verses that cover each instruction, but we are confident you will find many more on your own.

We have heard the argument that the only laws that we need to obey are the ones repeated in the New Testament. It baffles us as to why people believe YHWH should have to repeat Himself at all; He told us once, that should be sufficient. And Paul said, in 2 Timothy 3:16, that Every scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Just the same, though, Yeshua Messiah told us to obey the First Great Commandment and the Second, because all of the Torah is contained within them. Therefore, in that New Testament verse alone, ALL of the Torah has been repeated in the New Testament! However, even though that should be sufficient to satisfy this false argument, there’s more. We can look one step down to the ten commandments and find they are also repeated; and then another step down to the detailed instructions, where we find many of them are repeated as well!

When we know Torah, we find it repeated throughout YHWH’s Word—from Genesis to Revelation. Then we begin to understand just how important His instructions are to Him; and then we understand that “missing the mark” means disobeying Torah, because Torah is the mark!

1 John 3:4 Everyone practicing sin^g266 also practices lawlessness, and sin^g266 is lawlessness.

The Greek word translated “sin” is Strong’s g266 ἁμαρτία ham-ar-tee’-ah: from G264; a sin (properly abstract):—offence, sin(-ful). Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says that Strong’s g266, ἁμαρτία, is failing to hit the mark.

We will work through the first four of the ten commandments; first showing where they are found in the New Testament, then giving YHWH’s more detailed instructions on how to obey each of them. Once you have mastered each commandment, you will find you need to concentrate less on the detailed instructions because they will become second nature to you.

Borrowing an analogy from our study How Many Commandments , in which we compared obeying Torah to giving a chore list to your hypothetical twelve-year-old son, you would soon not need to break down the task of loading the dishwasher into step-by-step instructions for your son, because it would become second nature to him.

The New Testament is a guide for believers in the first century AD on how to obey Torah in a world that had changed significantly from the time of Moses. Yeshua and the apostles have repeated every one of the ten commandments specifically; however, some of the detailed instructions were only demonstrated in their actions, which we are instructed to emulate. Times had changed from Moses’ day to Yeshua’s, and consequently, some instructions in Torah required a “modern” interpretation which are misunderstood or not recognized by mainstream Christians who are ignorant in the Law. We will explain this better, and you will see examples of what we mean, as we discuss each instruction.

Whereas, all of the commandments are to be taken literally and all apply equally to us today, the detailed instructions underneath them need a new modern interpretation as the world has changed a whole lot more in the last two thousand years!

One example (of many) is that the command to “love your neighbour as yourself” has an instruction under it to not allow pitfalls to remain on your property, and one of the details under that is to build a railing around your roof so no one falls. Building a railing around your roof is a way of keeping people safe that is very specific to the times and locations where people have flat roofs that they use as extensions of their homes. A modern western-world equivalent would be to build a railing around your deck or balcony. We do not need to build a railing around our sloped roof on which no one ever walks.

The following are the first four commandments along with their detailed instructions:

Worship YHWH:

John 4:24 Yahweh is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (RSB)

Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan! For it has been written: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve Him only.”

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment.

Revelation 19:10 And I fell before his feet to worship him, but he said to me, Behold! Stop! I am your fellow-slave, and of your brothers, having the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

1)Have no other gods before Me

Exodus 20:2-3 I am YHWH your God, who has brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall have not other gods beside Me.
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know today, and lay it to your heart, that YHWH, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
Deuteronomy 5:6-7 I am YHWH your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
Deuteronomy 11:1 And you shall love YHWH your God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments all the days.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Psalm 18:31 For who is God besides YHWH? Or who is a Rock except our God?
Isaiah 44:6 So says YHWH, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, YHWH of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; and there is no God except Me.
Hosea 13:4 Yet I am YHWH, your God from the land of Egypt; and you shall know no other gods than Me. For there is no Savior besides Me.

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

John 10:30 I and the Father are One!

John 17:3 And this is everlasting life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

1 Corinthians 8:6 but to us is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we by Him.

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, incorruptible, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 2:5 For God is one, also there is one Mediator of God and of men, the Man Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:20 But the Mediator is not of one, but God is One.

Revelation 1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord, the One who is and who was and who is coming—the almighty.

Today, we need to know and believe that YHWH Elohim, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is the ONLY Elohim. This means that all of the other gods worshipped by all of the other world religions are false gods. There is not many paths to the same destination, there is only one.

2)Fear YHWH, Serve Him, Cleave to Him, and swear by His name

On the surface, this looks like four separate commands, but they are all part of the same one. When people made a contract at this time in history, it was done verbally. They would swear an oath that they would keep their end of the bargain, and would use the name of the god that they believed in; meaning that if they broke their word they expected and feared retribution from that god. This commandment is to fear retribution from YHWH Elohim only, as all other gods are idols and are not real.

Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but YHWH made the heavens and the earth.

By the first century AD, contracts were made in writing and signed. Swearing an oath to YHWH that you will keep your word was no longer necessary for day-to-day business. This is why Yeshua said, in Matthew 5:33-37, that we are not to swear by anything or anyone, but to just have our word, yes or no, be sufficient. He is not “taking away from” the Law because this instruction is not saying that you have to swear, only that when you do, it is YHWH that you fear retribution from and not a false god.

Deuteronomy 6:13-14 You shall fear^h3372 YHWH your God, and you shall serve^h5647 Him, and you shall swear^h7650 by His name. You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you—for YHWH your God is a jealous God in your midst—lest the anger of YHWH your God burn against you, and He destroy you from off the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 And now, Israel, what has YHWH your God asked of you, except to fear^h3372 YHWH your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve^h5647 YHWH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul; to keep the commandments of YHWH, and His statutes which I am commanding you today, for your good.
Deuteronomy 10:20 You shall fear^h3372 YHWH your God; you shall serve^h5647 Him; and you shall swear^h7650 by His name.
Deuteronomy 13:4 You shall walk after YHWH your God, and you shall fear^h3372 Him. And you shall keep His commandments, and you shall hear His voice, and you shall serve^h5647 Him, and you shall cleave^h1692 to Him.
Leviticus 19:12 And you shall not swear^h7650 by my name to a falsehood; nor shall you pollute the name of your God; I am YHWH.

Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan! For it has been written: “You shall worship^g4352 the Lord your God, and you shall serve^g3000 Him only.”

Luke 4:8 And answering to him, Jesus said, Get behind Me, Satan! For it has been written: “You shall worship^g4352 the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve^g3000.”

Acts 24:14 But I confess this to you that according to the Way, which they say is a sect, so I worship^g3000 the ancestral God, believing all things according to that having been written in the Law and the Prophets,

Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve^g3000 in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship^g3000 by the Spirit of God, and who glory in Christ Jesus, and who do not trust in the flesh.

Hebrews 12:28 For this reason, receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us have grace, by which we may serve^g3000 God pleasingly, with reverence and awe;

Today, like in Yeshua’s day, most contracts are written out and signed, and verbal contracts do not require swearing in the name of your god. However, we still have some circumstances when a verbal oath may be necessary. Two possible examples are: military or police service and testifying in court.

3)Do not inquire of spirits or consult magicians or seers

Leviticus 19:26 You shall not eat with the blood; you shall not divine, nor conjure spirits.
Leviticus 19:31 You shall not turn to those having familiar spirits; and you shall not seek to spiritists to be defiled by them; I am YHWH your God.
Deuteronomy 8:10-12 There shall not be found in you one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire, one that uses divination, an observer of clouds, or a fortune-teller, or a whisperer of spells, or a magic-charmer, or one asking of familiar spirits, or a wizard, or one inquiring of the dead. For all doing these things are an abomination to YHWH. And because of these filthy acts YHWH your God is expelling these nations before you.

Acts 16:16-19 And it happened, as we went into a place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a Pythonic spirit met us, whose divining brought much gain to her lords. Following after Paul and us, she cried out, saying, These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are announcing to us a way of salvation! And she did this over many days. But becoming distressed, and turning to the demonic spirit, Paul said, In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out from her! And it came out in that same hour.

Acts 19:18-20 And many of those who had believed came confessing, and declaring their deeds. And many of the ones practicing the curious arts bringing together the books, burned them before all. And they counted the prices of them, and found it to be five ten thousands of silver.

Revelation 21:8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving, and those having become foul, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the lying ones, their part will be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Revelation 22:15 But outside are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators and the murderers, and the idolaters and everyone loving and making a lie.

There are many examples of these today: tarot cards, ouija boards, palm readers, mediums, Nostradamus, crystal balls, witchcraft, horoscopes, astrology, and luck—just to name a few!

4)Learn YHWH’s commandments and teach them to your children and others

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 And these words which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart. And you shall point out them to your sons, and shall speak of them as you sit in your house, and as you walk in the way, and as you are lying down, and as you are rising up. And you shall bind them for a sign on your hand; and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates.
- There are some figurative aspects to this instruction that some people have taken literally. We know that the words are not literally written on your heart, rather “shall be on your heart” means to love the Torah. In the same way, binding them on your hand is figurative, it means to obey the Torah; as the hand symbolizes “doing”. You do not need to literally write the commandments on your forehead, rather “shall be for frontlets between your eyes” symbolizes learning, knowing, and thinking about the Torah. Writing them on the doorposts of your house symbolizes all those in your home (who enter through the doorposts) are to keep the Torah. Writing the commandments on the gates of the city was specific to the Israelites once they had entered the Promised Land and were building cities, it symbolizes keeping Torah as a nation.
Psalm 119:129 Your testimonies are wonderful; so my soul keeps them.
Proverbs 7:1-2 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and live; and my law as the pupil of your eye.
- Once again we have symbolism. The Law “as the pupil of your eye“, means to learn and keep the Law; to have the Law as the lens through which you see the world.
Malachi 4:4 Remember the law of My servant Moses, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, the statutes and judgments.

Acts 24:14 But I confess this to you that according to the Way, which they say is a sect, so I worship the ancestral God, believing all things according to that having been written in the Law and the Prophets,

Paul testified that he believed in, followed, and taught all of the Torah and the Prophets. He is also making a distinction between those who follow Torah and those who follow the traditions of men.

Matthew 5:17-19 Do not think that I came to annul the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to annul, but to fulfill. Truly I say to you, Until the heavens and the earth pass away, in no way shall one iota or one tittle pass away from the law until all comes to pass. Whoever then shall break one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of the Heavens.

Some have said that the phrase, “until the heavens and the earth pass away,” is just a figure of speech, and not to be taken literally. That argument could have been considered valid—as we just covered a few passages that use symbolism—if it were not mentioned anywhere else in scripture as a literal event. However, as it is a literal event given to us in scripture, and a major event at that, the only reasonable and honest way to take this verse is literally. Yeshua is saying that the whole Torah will be in place until the end of His millennial reign, when Heaven and Earth pass away, the dead are resurrected to judgment, and the New Jerusalem comes to those who believe in Yeshua Messiah. We read about this literal event in the Book of Revelation:
- Revelation 21:1-2 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea no longer is. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, having been prepared as a bride, having been adorned for her Husband.

Matthew 28:19-20 Going, then, disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age. Amen.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 But be careful lest this authority of yours become a cause of stumbling to the weak ones. For if anyone sees you, the (one) having knowledge, sitting in an idol-temple, will not the weak one’s conscience be lifted up so as to eat things sacrificed to idols? And on your knowledge the weak brother will fall, he for whom Christ died. And sinning in this way against your brothers, and wounding their conscience, being weak, you sin against Christ.

Here Paul is warning those who teach new converts to be careful to live according to the Torah because others are watching them as examples and will follow their lead. He is describing the actions of one participating in idolatry, which is breaking the Torah. He does not need to list the whole Law here in order for his readers to understand that he means the whole Law.

Ephesians 6:4 And fathers, do not provoke your children, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those laboring in word and teaching.

The word is scripture. Paul is referring to the Law and the Prophets, as that was the only scripture in existence at the time. People teaching Torah are to be held in high esteem.

We are two thousand years removed from the time when believers were properly following the Torah. Many people within the “Torah Observant” community turn to Jewish traditions in their desire to obey YHWH, forgetting that even in Yeshua’s day they were not living in obedience to Him, and that situation has only gotten worse with time. The only way for us to learn to obey YHWH’s commandments is to start as the apostles instructed in Acts 15, and because we no longer have synagogues to go to as they did in the first century, we must learn directly from the Word of YHWH. We can help one another by sharing our discoveries, and gathering together in small groups to read and discuss the Torah.

This is not the time for finger pointing and judgment, it is the time for love and patience. Yes, Paul gave instructions on how to correct a brother who is disobedient; that was then and this is now. Today, no one is learned in the Torah to the degree that would be necessary to correct someone else’s behaviour. We are all needing time to learn and will do so at a pace that matches our individual abilities. If you believe that you have progressed further than your brother and recognize mistakes he is making, realize that there are many other mistakes that you are still making as well; furthermore, your understanding could be flawed!

5)Obey YHWH’s commandments

Leviticus 20:22 And you shall keep all My statutes, and all My judgments, and shall do them, and the land where I am bringing you to live in it shall not vomit you out.
Leviticus 22:31 And you shall keep My commandments, and shall do them; I am YHWH.
Deuteronomy 6:16 You shall not test YHWH your God as you tested Him in Massah. You shall diligently keep the commands of YHWH your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you.
- Exodus 17:7 And one called the name of the place, Massah and Meribah, because of the wrangling of the sons of Israel, and because of their testing of YHWH, saying is YHWH in our midst, or not?

Matthew 4:7 Jesus said to him, Again it has been written: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”

Matthew 12:50 For whoever shall do the will of My Father in Heaven, that one is My brother and sister and mother.

Matthew 13:23 But that sown on the good ground is this: the one hearing the word, and understanding it; who indeed brings forth and produces fruit: one truly a hundredfold; and one sixty and one thirty.

It is now our personal responsibility to learn and follow the Torah at the fastest pace that we are capable. Salvation is through belief in Yeshua Messiah, having faith that He will accomplish all He has told us through His prophets. Those who have faith will live in obedience to the Torah to the best of their abilities, knowing that the time is near when all will be accomplished, which means knowing that there is no time for procrastinating.

6)Do not add to or take away from the Torah

Deuteronomy 12:32 All the things that I command you, take heed to do them, and you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Galatians 3:15 Brothers, I speak according to man, a covenant having been ratified, even among mankind, no one sets aside or adds to it.

Yeshua followed the Law perfectly, we know this because He is incapable of sin. To take-away from or add-to the Law is a sin; therefore, we know that Yeshua did not make any of YHWH’s commandments void nor did He make up any new ones. Yet mainstream Christianity accuses Him of both. Everything that Yeshua taught and how He lived was in line with the Torah.

We also know that Paul lived in obedience to the Law. He did not have the authority or ability to add to or take-away from the Torah either. Yet mainstream Christianity accuses Him of both. Everything that Paul taught and how he lived was in line with the Torah.

7)Wear tzit-tzits

Numbers 15:38-40 Speak to the sons of Israel and you shall tell them that they shall make themselves fringes^h6734 on the corners of their garments for their generations, and they shall put with the fringe^h6734 of each corner a thread of blue. And it shall be to you for a fringe^h6734, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of YHWH, and do them; and that you do not go about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you usually go astray; that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy to your God.
- The Hebrew word tzit-tzit is Strong’s h6734 צִיצִת tsee-tseeth’: feminine of H6731; a floral or wing-like projection, i.e. a fore-lock of hair, a tassel:—fringe, lock.

Deuteronomy 22:12 You shall make tassels^h1434 for yourself on the four corners of your cloak with which you cover.
- The Hebrew word for tassels is strong’s h1434 גָּדִל ghed-eel’: from H1431 (in the sense of twisting); thread, i.e. a tassel or festoon:—fringe, wreath.

Mark 6:56 And wherever He went into villages or cities or fields, they laid the ailing ones in the markets, and begged Him if only they may touch the fringe^g2899 of His garment. And as many as touched Him were healed.

Luke 8:44 coming up behind, she touched the border^g2899 of His garment. And instantly the flow of her blood stopped.

The Greek word translated “border” and “fringe” is Strong’s g2899 κράσπεδον kras’-ped-on: of uncertain derivation; a margin, i.e. (specially), a fringe or tassel:—border, hem. From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: in classical Greek the extremity or prominent part. of a thing, edge, skirt, margin; the fringe of a garment; in the N. T. for Hebrew צִיצִית, i. e. a little appendage hanging down from the edge of the mantle or cloak, made of twisted wool; a tassel, tuft. Jews had such appendages attached to their mantles to remind them of the law, according to Numbers 15:37f.

Our clothing today looks very different from those of the cultures that Moses and Yeshua lived in, which is why where and how we attach tzit-tzits may look a little different. The important part of this instruction is that we have tassels with blue in them somewhere on our clothing to remind us to obey YHWH’s commandments. These are not “for show”, they are a personal reminder and as such do not need to be visible to others.

Some people have them pinned to the waistband of their pants, on one side or both sides. Some are elaborately decorated with beads and multiple colours, others are only blue; some are tied like macrame, others are simple braids, and still others are strings just knotted together at one end. You may want to see how others are making and wearing their tzit-tzits to get ideas, and then decide how you will wear yours.

8)Bless YHWH after eating

Deuteronomy 8:10 And you shall eat and be satisfied; and you shall bless YHWH your God in the good land which He has given to you.

Colossians 4:2 Steadfastly continue in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.

Hebrews 12:28 For this reason, receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us have grace, by which we may serve God pleasingly, with reverence and awe;

Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, even to God the Father.

This is an interesting instruction in that most people who pray at mealtime today only pray before they eat. The traditions of the Catholic church do include specific prayers for before and after you eat, the first is to bless the food and the second is to give thanks and bless God. Unfortunately, following this instruction is not commonplace anymore.

The clue to why YHWH tells us to pray after the meal is when He says, “You shall eat and be satisfied.” You see, it is easy to remember to thank Him, to be grateful for all He has provided, when our belly is empty and growling. However, it is just as easy to forget when we are full and satisfied. Go ahead and pray before your meal, saying a blessing over the food, Yeshua did multiple times during His ministry, and Paul did as well, but try not to forget to thank YHWH Elohim after you are satisfied as well.

9)Do not tattoo the skin, cut yourself or shave in mourning for the dead

Leviticus 19:27-29 You shall not round the corners of your head, nor mar the corner of your beard. And you shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead; and you shall not put on yourself any writing or mark; I am YHWH.
Deuteronomy 14:1 You are sons to YHWH your God; you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in You? If anyone corrupts the temple of God, God will bring that one to corruption; for the temple of God is holy which you are.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God; and you are not of yourselves? For you were bought with a price; to glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are of God.

The Jewish tradition on this instruction is that all tattoos are wrong, and some believers in Yeshua Messiah interpret it that way as well; however, the context of the verse is mourning for the dead. You are not to make cuttings or tattoos on yourself as a means of mourning for loved ones who have passed away. Our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit, which resides in us, and they belong to YHWH. Marking that temple for another is idolatry.

Abstain from the Pollution of Idols

Acts 15:20 but to write to them to hold back from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and that strangled, and blood.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that unjust ones will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be led astray, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor abusers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous ones, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor plunderers shall inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 10:14 On account of this, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkennesses, wild parties, and things like these; of which I tell you beforehand, as I also said before, that the ones practicing such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:5 For be knowing this that every fornicator or unclean one or covetous one, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

1 John 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

1)Do not make graven images, or bow down to or serve them

Exodus 20:4-6 You shall not make a graven image for yourself, of any likeness which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow to them, and you shall not serve them; for I am YHWH your God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of fathers on children, on the third and on the fourth generation, to those that hate Me; and doing kindness to thousands, to those loving Me, and to those keeping My commandments.
Exodus 20:23 You shall not make gods of silver along with Me, and you shall not make gods of gold for yourselves.
Leviticus 19:4 Do not turn yourself to the idols; and you shall not make molten gods for yourselves; I am YHWH your God.
Leviticus 26:1 You shall not make idols to yourselves; and you shall not set up for yourselves graven images, or a memorial pillar. And you shall not place any stone image in your land, to bow yourselves to it; for I am YHWH your God.
Deuteronomy 16:21-22 You shall not set up for yourself pillars of any trees which you make for yourself near the altar of YHWH your God. And you shall not raise up for yourself any standing image, which YHWH your God detests.
Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but YHWH made the heavens and the earth.

Acts 17:29 Therefore, being offspring of God, we ought not to suppose that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and the imagination of man.

Romans 1:22-25 Professing to be wise, they became foolish, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into a likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. Because of this, God gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts, their bodies to be dishonored among themselves; who changed the truth of God into the lie, and worshipped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Revelation 21:8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving, and those having become foul, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the lying ones, their part will be in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Revelation 22:15 But outside are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators and the murderers, and the idolaters and everyone loving and making a lie.

We are to use Tzit-tzits to remind us of the Word of YHWH. Within mainstream Christianity, idolatry is shockingly common. An idol, as defined by scripture, is literally anything that is made by human hands that is held in reverence, bowed down to, knelt in front of, kissed, looked to in awe or reverence, or used as an image of YHWH or Yeshua. Here are some examples:

A crucifix (Exodus 20:4-6, 20:23; Leviticus 19:4, 26:1; Deuteronomy 16:21-22)
A painting or statue of Yeshua (Exodus 20:4-6; Leviticus 19:4, 26:1; Deuteronomy 16:21-22; Acts 17:29)
A painting or statue of any of the “Saints” (Exodus 20:4-6, 20:23; Leviticus 19:4, 26:1; Deuteronomy 16:21-22)
A painting or statue of an angel (Exodus 20:4-6, 20:23; Leviticus 19:4, 26:1; Deuteronomy 16:21-22)
Kissing, bowing or kneeling before, or praying to: a ring, cross, crucifix, painting, or statue (Exodus 20:4-6, 20:23; Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Acts 17:29)
Relics and icons (Exodus 20:4-6, 20:23; Leviticus 19:4, 26:1; Acts 17:29)
An evergreen tree or wreath brought into your home and decorated (Exodus 20:4-6; Deuteronomy 16:21-22)
Obelisks (Exodus 20:4-6; Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 16:21-22)

2)Do not sacrifice to false gods

Leviticus 18:21 And you shall not give your seed to set them apart to Molech; nor shall you pollute the name of your God; I am YHWH.
Deuteronomy 18:10a There shall not be found in you one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire,

1 Corinthians 10:20 But the things the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. But I do not want you to become sharers of demons; you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and a cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and a table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

Two examples of modern-day sacrifice to idols are:

Meat that is labelled “Halaal” has had the name of the Islamic false-god spoken over it. Before slaughter, they say, “In the name of…” and then they kill the animal. This is meat sacrificed to an idol, knowingly eating it is eating meat sacrificed to idols.
Abortion is sacrificing your seed to false gods or idols. Whether that idol be money, fame, drugs, or a false idea of freedom.

3)Do not eat blood

Genesis 9:4 But you shall not eat flesh in its life, its blood.
Psalm 16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who run after another god. I will not pour out their drink offering of blood; and I will not take their names on my lips.
Leviticus 3:17 It shall be a never-ending statute for your generations. You shall not eat any fat or any blood.
Leviticus 7:27 Any person who eats any blood, even that person shall be cut off from his people.
Leviticus 17:10-14 And any man of the house of Israel, or of the alien who is staying in your midst, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person that eats blood and will cut him off from his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar, to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood which makes atonement for the soul. For this reason I have said to the sons of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood; and the alien who is staying in your midst shall not eat blood. And any man of the sons of Israel, or of the aliens who stay in your midst, who catches venison, beast or fowl, which is eaten, shall even pour out its blood and shall cover it with dust. For it is the life of all flesh; its blood is for its life. And I say to the sons of Israel, You shall not eat blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is in the blood; anyone eating it is cut off.
Leviticus 19:26 You shall not eat with the blood; you shall not divine, nor conjure spirits.
Deuteronomy 12:16 Only, you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it as water on the earth.
Deuteronomy 12:23-25 Only, be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh; you shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth as water. You shall not eat it in order that it may be well with you, and with your sons after you, when you do that which is right in the eyes of YHWH.
Deuteronomy 15:23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water.

Acts 15:20 but to write to them to hold back from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and that strangled, and blood.

Drinking blood and slaughtering an animal without draining its blood are part of the false god worship of different cultures. YHWH tells us that the life is in the blood, and we are not to eat it.

4)Do not say the name of false gods or idols

Exodus 23:13 And be watchful in all that I have said to you. And you shall not mention another god by name; it shall not be heard from your mouth.
Joshua 23:7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them,
Deuteronomy 12:3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place.

The Hebrew word translated “mention” is Strong’s h2142 זָכַר zâkar, zaw-kar’; a primitive root; also as denominative from H2145 properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male:—× burn (incense), × earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, × still, think on, × well.

What this instruction is saying is that we should not make a false god an object of worship, call on their name when we need assistance, or meditate on them. It does not mean simply saying their names, as scripture frequently mentions the names of false gods.

1 Timothy 4:16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

5)Do not sell idols or their accessories for profit

Deuteronomy 7:25 You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; and you shall not lust after the silver and gold on them, nor shall you take it to yourself that you not be snared by it; for it is an abomination to YHWH.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction^.For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Romans 2:22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

This may not be the best way to word this instruction, as it is not only about selling for profit. We are not to lust after the prestige that comes from possessing idols either. Many of the idols of the old days contained precious jewels and expensive metals, but we are not to profit from selling them, nor are we to display them in our homes to impress our guests. We have known professing Christians who travelled to the Far East, bought idols as souvenirs, and now have them proudly on display in their homes. Scripture warns that we can be snared by this and it is an abomination to YHWH.

6)Do not have idols or their accessories in your home

Deuteronomy 7:26 And you shall not bring an abomination into your house, that you not be a cursed thing like it. You shall utterly detest it, and you shall utterly hate it; for it is a cursed thing.

2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God, even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Because of this, come out from among them, and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Here are a few examples of idols that some people may have in their homes. The activities and behaviours done around and toward the objects is what make them idols. Decorating, placing gifts under, singing to and about, and prostrating yourself before a tree makes it an idol. Statues are idols when people look to and at them for solutions or absolutions, or kiss them in reverence, as many people do with crucifixes and other statues.

GERMANY 1899: Copy of typical catholic image of heart of Jesus Christ from Slovakia printed on 19. april 1899 in Germany.

Sinterklaas portrait full length . isolated on white background. Dutch character of Santa Claus

Respect YHWH

John 5:43 I have come in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name you will receive that one.

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you and you did not believe. The works which I do in the name of My Father, these bear witness about Me.

John 17:6 I revealed Your name to the men whom You gave to Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me; and they have Kept Your Word.

Ephesians 5:5 For be knowing this that every fornicator or unclean one or covetous one, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

1)Do not insult YHWH’s character

Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain; for YHWH will not leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain.

1 Timothy 6:1 Let as many as are slaves under a yoke count their masters worthy of all honor that the name and teaching of God may not be blasphemed.

Taking YHWH’s name in vain means insulting His character. We do this by: denying He is the One True God, disbelieving that He will accomplish all He says He will accomplish, and disobeying His Torah and teaching others to disobey.

2)Confess and repent of sin

Numbers 5:5-8 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, man or woman, when they commit any of the sins of man, by committing a trespass against YHWH, and that person is guilty: Then they shall confess the sin that they have done. And he shall restore his guilt in its principal, and add its fifth to it, and shall give it to him against whom he has been guilty.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near.

Mark 1:15 And after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, The time has been fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draws near. Repent and believe in the Gospel.

Acts 19:18-20 And many of those who had believed came confessing, and declaring their deeds.

We are to confess our sins to YHWH and to whomever we have wronged. We are also to compensate the person we have wronged, with interest. This does not necessarily mean monetarily, it means that you go further than just fixing or reversing what you have done. It is required that we confess to YHWH, as all sin is ultimately committed against Him, and to the individual whom we have wronged. Then, we must over-compensate the victim(s) for what we have done.

3)Do not profane YHWH’s name

Leviticus 22:32 And you shall not profane My holy name; and I shall be counted holy among the sons of Israel; I am YHWH, who is sanctifying you.
Leviticus 19:12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

Romans 2:22-24 The one saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one detesting idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in Law, do you dishonor God through transgression of the Law? For the name of God is blasphemed among the nations through you even as it has been written:

We profane YHWH’s holy name by living contrary to His instructions. We must live lives that bring honour to YHWH, not lives that cause scoffers to blaspheme His name because of our failures.

4)Do not swear falsely in or pollute YHWH’s name

Leviticus 19:12 And you shall not swear by My name to a falsehood; nor shall you pollute the name of your God; I am YHWH.
Deuteronomy 23:21-23 When you shall vow a vow to YHWH your God, you shall not delay to perform it; for YHWH your God will certainly require it of you and it shall be sin to you. But if you shall forebear to vow, it shall be no sin to you. That which has gone out of your lips, you shall keep, and shall do it. According as you have vowed as a free-will offering to YHWH your God, do even that which you have promised with your youth.
Numbers 30:2 When a man vows a vow to YHWH, or has sworn an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do all that has gone out of his mouth.
Numbers 30:3-16 And when a woman vows a vow to YHWH, and has a bond in the house of her father in her youth, and her father has heard her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father has remained silent as to her, then all her vows shall stand; and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. But if her father has prohibited her in the day he heard, none of her vows and her bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. And YHWH will forgive her because her father prohibited her. And if she belongs to a husband, and her vows are on her, or a rash utterance on her lips with which she has bound her soul, and her husband has heard, and in the day he heard he has remained silent as to her, then her vow shall stand, and her bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. And if in the day her husband hears, he prohibits her, then he has broken her vow which is on her, and the rash utterance of her lips with which she has bound her soul. And YHWH will forgive her.

Matthew 5:33-37 Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients: “You shall not swear falsely, but shall give your oaths to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, neither by Heaven, because it is God’s throne; nor by the earth because it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. But let your word be Yes, yes; No, no. For whatever is more than these is from evil.

Please see the earlier instruction: Fear YHWH, Serve Him, Cleave to Him, and swear by His name, for an explanation of this passage.

Romans 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the nations through you, even as it has been written,

It is not only when we swear in YHWH’s name that He will hold us to our word; as Yeshua was explaining, even when we only say yes or no, YHWH will still hold us accountable.

5)Do not despise YHWH

Exodus 22:28 You shall not revile God, and you shall not curse a ruler among your people.
Numbers 12:1-2, 6-9 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, because of the Cushite woman whom he had taken. For he had taken a Cushite woman. And they said, Has YHWH spoken only by Moses? Has He not also spoken by us? And YHWH heard. […] And He said, Now hear My words. If your prophet is of YHWH, I shall make Myself known to him in an appearance; I will speak to him in a dream. It is not so with My servant Moses! He is faithful in all My house. I speak to him mouth to mouth, and by an appearance, and not in riddles; and he carefully looks upon the form of YHWH. So why have you not been afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses? And the anger of YHWH glowed against them, and He left.

Acts 23:5 And Paul said, Brothers, I did not know that he is high priest; for it has been written, “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.“

The context of this verse in Acts, is that Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem and accused of teaching people to not obey the Torah. He was standing before the Jewish chief priests and their council to defend himself against the accusations. Paul had unwittingly insulted the High Priest.

The rulers of the people have been put in place by YHWH; therefore, to despise, curse, or speak evil of them is to despise YHWH.

6)Listen to Yeshua Messiah

Deuteronomy 18:15-19 YHWH your God shall raise up to you a Prophet from among you, of your brothers, One like me—you shall listen to Him, according to all that you desired of YHWH your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of YHWH my God, nor let me see this great fire any more, lest I die. And YHWH said to me, They have spoken well what they have said. I shall raise up a Prophet to them from among their brothers, like you; and I will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak to them all that I shall command Him. And it shall be, whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it at his hand.

Matthew 21:9-11 And the crowd, the ones going before and the ones following, were crying out, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! And as He entered into Jerusalem, all the city was shaken, saying Who is this? And the crowds said, This is Jesus, the Prophet, the one from Nazareth of Galilee.

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, We have found the One whom Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets, Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.

John 5:43-47 I have come in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name you will receive that one. How are you able to believe, you who receive glory from one another, and the glory which is from the only God you do not seek? Do you think that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one accusing you, Moses, in whom you have hoped. For if you were believing Moses, you would then believe me; for that one wrote concerning Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?

John 12:44-50 But Jesus cried out and said, The one believing into Me does not believe into Me, but into the One sending Me. And the One seeing Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as a Light to the world, that everyone who believes into Me may not remain in the darkness. And if anyone hears My words, and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come that I might judge the world, but that I might save the world. The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has that judging him; the word which I spoke, that will judge him in the last Day. For I did not speak from Myself, but He who sent Me, the Father, He has given Me command, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, what things I speak, as the Father has said to Me, so I speak.

John 14:21-24 He that has My commandments and keeps them, it is that one who loves Me; and the one that loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and will reveal Myself to him. Judas, not the Iscariot, said to Him, Lord, what has happened that You are about to reveal Yourself to us and not at all to the world? And Jesus answered and said to him, if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him. And We will come to him and will make a dwelling-place with him. The one who does not love Me does not keep My words–and the word which you hear is not Mine, but of the Father who sent Me!

John 17:6-11 I revealed Your name to the men whom You gave to Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me; and they have Kept Your Word. Now they have known that all things, whatever You gave to Me, are from You. For the words which You gave to Me, I have given to them. And they received, and truly knew that I came out from beside You; and they believed that You sent Me. I pray concerning them; I do not pray concerning the world, but for those whom You gave to Me; for they are Yours. And all My things are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. And I no longer am in the world, yet these are in the world; and I come to You, Holy Father; keep them in Your name; those whom You gave to Me, that they may be one as We are.

Acts 3:22-26 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, “The Lord your God will raise up to you, a Prophet from among your brothers, One like me; you shall hear Him according to all things, whatever He may speak to you. And it shall be that of every soul, whoever should not hear that Prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” And also all the prophets, from Samuel and those following after, as many as spoke, also before, announced these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God appointed to our fathers, saying to Abraham, “Even in your Seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Having raised up His child Jesus, God sent Him first to you, blessing you in turning away each one from your iniquities.

Acts 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, “The Lord our God will raise up a Prophet to you from your brothers, One like me. You shall hear Him.“

1 Timothy 2:5-6 For God is one, also there is one Mediator of God and of men, the Man Christ Jesus, the One having given Himself a ransom on behalf of all, the testimony to be given in its own times.

Revelation 19:9-10 And he says to me, Write: Blessed are the ones having been called to the supper of the marriage of the lamb. And he says to me. These words of God are true. And I fell before his feet to worship him, but he said to me, Behold! Stop! I am your fellow-slave, and of your brothers, having the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The idea that Torah was replaced or made obsolete by Yeshua Messiah seems even more ridiculous when you realize that the command to listen to Him is part of the Torah! Yeshua said multiple times that His words are from YHWH, who sent Him. YHWH said in the Torah that Yeshua’s words are His words.

7)Care for YHWH’s temple (our bodies) as He instructed

Our bodies are YHWH’s temple, we must follow His instructions on how He wants us to take care of His temple, which includes His dietary and hygiene instructions. We have a full study on YHWH’s Dietary Instructions, so we won’t go into the details in this study.

Deuteronomy 14:2 For you are holy people to YHWH your God; and YHWH has chosen you to be a people to Him, a special treasure out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Leviticus 11:44-45 For I am YHWH your God, and you have sanctified yourselves, and you have become holy, for I am holy. And you shall not defile your persons with any swarming thing which creeps on the earth; for I am YHWH who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to become your God; and you shall be holy, for I am Holy.
Leviticus 11:46-47 This is the law of the animals, and of the fowl, and of every living creature which moves in the waters, and every creature which swarms on the earth, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten, and the living thing that may not be eaten.
Deuteronomy 14:3 You shall not eat any abominable thing.
Deuteronomy 14:21 You must not eat of anything that died of itself. You may give it to the alien who is within your gates that he may eat it. Or you, may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people to YHWH your God. You shall not simmer a kid in its mother’s milk.
Deuteronomy 23:12-14 Also you shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out there. And you shall have an instrument on your staff. And it shall be, as you sit outside, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back, and shall cover that which comes from you. For YHWH your God walks in the middle of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you; therefore your camp shall be holy, so that He may see no unclean thing in you, and turn away from you.

Acts 10:14 But Peter said, Not at all, Lord, because I never did eat anything common or unclean.

1 Timothy 5:22-23 Lay hands quickly on no one, nor share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. No longer drink water, but use a little wine on account of your stomach and your frequent infirmities.

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit in us. We are to keep them holy, pure, and healthy. YHWH has instructed us to do this by keeping clean, taking care when we are ill, and only eating the things He has deemed food. Please see our study on YHWH’s dietary instructions for specific instructions on what is food and what is not food.

8)Care for YHWH’s creation

Leviticus 19:23 And when you come into the land and have planted all of the food trees, then you shall expose its foreskin, its fruit, it shall be uncircumcised for you three years; it shall not be eaten. And in the fourth year all its fruit is holy; it is for praises for YHWH. And in the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase; I am YHWH your God.
Deuteronomy 22:9-11 You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seeds, that the fruit of your seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard not be defiled. You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together. You shall not wear a garment of different kinds, of wool and linen together.
Leviticus 19:19 You shall keep my statutes; you shall not cause your livestock to breed with different kinds; you shall not sow your field with different kinds; and you shall not allow a garment mingled of linen and wool to come upon you.
Deuteronomy 22:6-7 If a bird’s nest happens to be before you in the way, in any tree, or on the ground with young ones, or eggs; and the mother is sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. But in every case you shall let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, so that it may be well with you, and you may prolong your days.
Exodus 23:5 When you see the ass of one who hates you crouching under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving it to him; you shall surely loose it from him.
Deuteronomy 25:4 You shall not muzzle an ox when he is treading out grain.

Luke 13:7-9 And he said to the vinedresser, Behold, three years I come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none. Cut it down, and why does it waste the ground? And the vinedresser said to him, Sir, leave it also this year, until I shall dig around it and throw manure; and see if it indeed makes fruit. But if not, in the future you may cut it down.

1 Corinthians 9:9 For it has been written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox treading grain.” Is it that it matters to God as to oxen? Or does He say it altogether because of us? It is written because of us so that the one plowing ought to plow in hope; and the one threshing in hope to partake of his hope.

1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox treading out grain“—and, “The laborer is worthy of his pay.”

Paul notes in both his letter to Timothy and to the Corinthians that there is more than one meaning to the instruction not to muzzle an ox while it is working. The first and obvious one is to allow your animals to eat while they are working so they will benefit from the work they do and be nourished by it. The second is that our elders need to be kept nourished, physically and spiritually, to keep them strong; and the third is that we know that the work we do spreading the gospel will be rewarded in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Keep YHWH’s Set-Apart Times

Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is also Lord of the sabbath.

Mark 1:21 And they passed along into Capernaum. And entering into the synagogue, at once He taught on the sabbaths.

Luke 4:16 And He came to Nazareth, where He was brought up. And He went in as was His custom, on the day of the sabbaths, into the synagogue and stood up to read.

Acts 13:14 But going through from Perga, they came to Antioch-Pisidia, and going into the synagogue on the day of the sabbaths, they sat down.

Acts 15:21 For in every city from ancient generations Moses has those proclaiming him, having been read in the synagogues on every sabbath.

Acts 16:13 And on the day of the sabbaths, we went outside the city beside a river where it was customary for prayer to be made. And sitting down, we spoke to the women who came together there.

Acts 17:2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went in to them and reasoned with them from the Scriptures on three sabbaths.

Colossians 2:8-10, 16-19 Watch, that there not be one robbing you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and having been filled you are in Him, who is the Head of all rule and authority, […] Then do not let anyone judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or the new moon, or of sabbaths, which are a shadow of coming things; but the body is of Christ. Let no one judge you unworthy, willing in humility and worship of the angels, pushing into things which he has not seen, being puffed up by the mind of his flesh without a cause, and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body having been supplied with the joints and bands, and having been joined together will grow with the growth which comes from God.

This passage is misunderstood and misrepresented by mainstream Christians. It must be understood in the context of the entire Word of God, and we must heed Peter’s warning about not misunderstanding Paul and falling into the error of lawlessness.
Paul is saying here that the believers were not to allow the Jewish leadership to judge them for not following the traditions of men, and to stop them from keeping YHWH’s appointed times because of man-made rules that say the believers are unworthy.
Paul says YHWH’s appointed times are important because they are shadows of coming things. This shows us that Paul new and taught that the appointed times were pointing to end-times events. Events that had not all been fulfilled by Yeshua; therefore, we must continue to keep them for the same reason YHWH gave them to us in the first place. Being a shadow of things to come makes them important, not unimportant as mainstream Christians mistakenly believe.
Paul is saying these Jewish leaders are puffed up with their own vanity and self-importance and not placing YHWH as their authority. New believers are part of the body of Christ, of which YHWH Elohim is the Head, they are to keep YHWH as their authority and follow the Law that YHWH gave them, unhindered by the Jewish leadership.

Hebrews 4:1-10 Therefore, let us fear lest perhaps a promise being left to enter into His rest, any of you might seem to come short. For, indeed, we have had the gospel preached to us, even as they also; but the word did not profit those hearing it, not having been mixed with faith in the ones who heard. For we, the ones believing, enter into the rest, even as He said, “As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into My rest,” though the works had come into being from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken somewhere about the seventh day this way, “And God rested from all His works in the seventh day.” And in this place again, “They shall not enter into My rest.” Therefore, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly had the gospel preached did not enter in on account of disobedience, He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, “Today”—after so long a time, according as He said—“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua gave them rest then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day. So, then, there remains a rest to the people of God. For He entering into His rest, He Himself also rested from His works, as God had done from His own.

Here, once again, the author is talking about the sabbaths being a shadow of things to come. The seventh day is foreshadowing the thousand-year reign of Yeshua Messiah that will be the seventh millennium from creation. This is what is meant by “entering His rest”.

1)Rest on the seventh day Sabbath, to keep it set-apart

Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy; six days you shall labor and do all your work; and the seventh day is a sabbath to YHWH your God; you shall not do any work, you, and your son, and your daughter, your male slave and your slave-girl, and your livestock, and your stranger who is in your gates. For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all which is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; on account of this YHWH blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it.
Exodus 23:12 You shall do your work six days, and on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your slave-girl and your alien may be refreshed.
Leviticus 23:3 Work is to be done six days, and in the seventh day shall be a sabbath of rest, a holy gathering; you shall do no work; it is a sabbath to YHWH in all your dwellings.

Luke 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day, according to the commandment. (RSB)

Matthew 24:20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter, nor on the sabbath.

Mark 2:27-28 And He said to them, The sabbath came into being for man’s sake, not man for the sabbath’s sake. So then the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.

Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue on every sabbath persuading both Jews and Greeks.

Acts 18:11 And he remained a year and six months teaching the word of God among them.

What we’ve learned is that YHWH blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. In Malachi 3:6 we are told that YHWH does not change, which includes His mind! Yeshua told us in Matthew that all of the Law would remain unchanged until the end of His millennial reign, when Heaven and Earth pass away. Therefore, the seventh day sabbath is blessed and sanctified to this day.

For I am YHWH, I change not. Because of this you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.
Malachi 3:6

The Torah tells us we are to set apart the sabbath day and rest on it. The New Testament authors have testified that Yeshua and the apostles kept the sabbath by resting on it, and gathering in groups to teach and to pray.

2)Keep YHWH’s Appointed Times

Exodus 23:14-17 Three times in the year you shall make a feast to Me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I have commanded you, at the set time of the month of Abib. For in it you came out from Egypt, and they shall not appear before Me empty. Also, the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. Also, the Feast of Ingathering, at the end of the year; at your gathering your work from the field. Three times in the year every one of your males shall appear before the Lord YHWH.
- Please see our studies on YHWH’s Appointed Times for more information on why they are significant to us today, when to keep them, and how to keep them.
Leviticus 23:44 And Moses announced the appointed seasons of YHWH to the sons of Israel.

Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

Leviticus 23:4-8 These are the appointed seasons of YHWH, holy gatherings which you shall proclaim in their appointed seasons: In the first month on the fourteenth of the month, between the evenings, is the Passover to YHWH. And on the fifteenth of this month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to YHWH; you shall eat unleavened things seven days. On the first day you shall have a holy gathering; you shall do no work of service; and you shall bring near a fire offering to YHWH seven days; and the seventh day shall by a holy gathering; you shall do no work of service.
Exodus 12:14-20 And the day shall be a memorial for you. And you shall celebrate it as a feast to YHWH for your generations. You shall celebrate it as a law forever. You shall eat unleavened bread seven days. Indeed, on the first day you shall cause leaven to cease from your houses. For anyone eating anything leavened, that soul shall be cut off from Israel, for the first day until the seventh day. And on the first day shall be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation shall be to you. Not any work may be done on them only what must be eaten by your soul, that alone may be done by you. And you shall observe the unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought out your armies from the land of Egypt. And you shall observe this day for your generations, a statute forever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month, at evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses. For anyone eating anything leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, among the aliens, and among the natives of the land. You shall not eat anything leavened. You shall eat unleavened bread in all your dwellings.
Exodus 13:3-10 And Moses said to the people, Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of the slaves. For by the might of His hand YHWH brought you out from here. And no leavened bread shall be eaten. Today you are going out in the month of Abib. And it shall be when YHWH brings you into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers, to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall do this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day keep a Feast to YHWH. Unleavened bread shall be eaten the seven days. And leavened bread shall not be seen for you, and leaven shall not be seen for you in all your countries. And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, It is because of what YHWH did to me, in my going out from Egypt. And it shall be a sign to you on your hand, and a memorial between your eyes, so that a law of YHWH may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand YHWH brought you out from Egypt. And you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from days to days,
Deuteronomy 16:1-8 Observe the month Abib, and keep the Passover to YHWH your God. For in the month of Abib YHWH your God brought you out of Egypt by night. And you shall sacrifice a Passover to YHWH your God of the flock, and of the herd, in the place which He shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction. For you came out of the land of Egypt in haste so that you may remember the day that you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. And there shall be no leaven seen with you in your borders seven days; nor shall any of the flesh which you sacrificed the first day at evening remain all night until morning. You may not sacrifice the Passover offering inside any of your gates, which YHWH your God gives you. But at the place which He shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, you shall sacrifice the Passover offering at evening, at the going of the sun, at the time when you came out of Egypt. And you shall cook and eat in the place which YHWH your God shall choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go into your tents. You shall eat unleavened bread six days and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to YHWH your God. You shall do no work.

YHWH says that the Passover sacrifice must be killed outside of the city gates: Yeshua was crucified outside of the city gates.

Matthew 26:17 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, Where do you desire we should prepare for You to eat the Passover?

Matthew 26:26-29 And as they ate, taking the bread and blessing it, Jesus broke and gave to the disciples; and said, Take, eat; this is My body. And taking the cup, and giving thanks, He gave to them, saying Drink of all of it. For this is My blood of the New Covenant which concerning many is being poured out for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not at all drink of this fruit of the vine after this, until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of My Father.

Mark 14:22-25 And as they were eating, Jesus taking a loaf, blessing, He broke and gave to them. And He said, Take, eat, this is My body. And taking the cup, giving thanks, He gave to them, And they all drank out of it. And He said to them, This is My blood, that of the New Covenant, which is poured out concerning many. Truly I say to you, I will not at all drink of the fruit of the vine any more until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

Luke 22:14-16 And when the hour came, He reclined, and the twelve apostles with Him. And He said to them, With desire I desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering. For I say to you that never in any way I will eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

John 2:13 And the Passover of the Jews was near. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 2:23 And as He was in Jerusalem, at the Passover, at the Feast, many believed into His name, seeing the miracles which He did.

John 6:4 And the Passover was near, the feast of the Jews.

John 11:55 And the Passover of the Jews was near. And many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover, that they might purify themselves.

John 12:12-13 On the morrow, coming to the Feast, hearing that Jesus is coming to Jerusalem, a great crowd took palm branches and went out to a meeting with Him, and were crying out, Hosanna! Blessed is He coming in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!

1 Corinthians 5:1-8 Everywhere it is heard that fornication is among you, and such fornication which is not named among the heathen, so as one to have his father’s wife. And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that did this deed might be taken from your midst. For as being absent in body but being present in spirit, indeed I have already judged the one who has worked out this thing, as if I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—you being gathered together with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ—to deliver such a one to Satan for destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boast is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens all the lump? Therefore, purge out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. So let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and of evil, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Peter 1:19-20 But with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. (RSB)

The purpose for participating in the Passover (bread and wine) and Feast of Unleavened Bread in the twenty-first century is:

Passover: We are sealed by the blood of the lamb, which is the garment that covers our sin so we don’t walk naked. Eating the bread is our active participation in Yeshua’s atoning work on the cross, which is the assurance of forgiveness for our sins and everlasting life through Yeshua Messiah.
Unleavened Bread: Is the week long active purge of sin and false doctrine from our lives as we actively participate in leaving Egypt behind and begin our new lives in righteousness.

Firstfruits

Exodus 23:19 The first, the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of YHWH your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
Exodus 34:26 You shall bring the first of the firstfruits of your ground to the house of YHWH your God. You shall not boil a kid in the milk of its mother.
Leviticus 2:12 As an offering of firstfruits, you shall bring them to YHWH, but they shall not go up on the altar for a soothing fragrance.
Leviticus 23:9-14 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them, When you come in the the land which I am giving to you, and have reaped its harvest, and have brought in the sheaf, the beginning of your harvest, to the priest, then he shall wave the sheaf before YHWH for your acceptance; on the morrow of the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall prepare a lamb in the day you wave the sheaf, a perfect one, a son of a year, for a burnt offering to YHWH. And its food offering shall be two-tenth parts of flour mixed with oil, a fire offering to YHWH, a sweet fragrance; and its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. And you shall not eat bread and roasted grain and fresh ears until this self-same day, until you have brought the offering of your God; it is a never-ending statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Mark 16:1-6 And the sabbath passing, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome, bought spices, so that coming they might anoint Him. And very early on the first of the week, the sun having risen they came upon the tomb.

Mark 16:9 And rising early on the first of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.

Romans 11:16 Now if the firstfruit is holy, also the lump. And if the root is holy, also the branches.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He became the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep. For since death is through man, also through a Man is a resurrection of the dead—for as all die in Adam, so also all will be made alive in Christ, but each in his own order: Christ the firstfruit; afterward those of Christ at His coming.

Rev 14:4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are the ones following the Lamb wherever He may go. These were redeemed from among men as firstfruit to God and to the Lamb.

Firstfruits is the day after the first sabbath after Passover. This was the day that Yeshua Messiah rose from the tomb, as He was the firstfruits of the harvest that is described in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 14:4, we see the Church of Philadelphia, the 144,000, also referred to as the firstfruits. These are the people living on earth when Yeshua returns, who keep YHWH’s commandments and have faith in Yeshua Messiah.

There is no temple or Levitical priesthood, so we don’t bring our grain offerings to YHWH at this time. What we can do, though, is remember and celebrate this day as the resurrection of Yeshua Messiah.

Feast of Weeks (Feast of Harvest and Pentecost)

Leviticus 23:15-16, 21 And you shall number to you from the next day after the sabbath, from the day of bringing in the sheaf of the wave offering; they shall be seven perfect sabbaths; to the next day after the seventh sabbath, you shall number fifty days; and you shall bring near a food offering to YHWH. […] And you shall make a proclamation on this same day; it is a holy gathering to you. You shall do no work of service. It is a never-ending statute in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

John 5:1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Acts 2:1 And in fulfilling the day of Pentecost, they were all with one mind in the same place.

Acts 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail by Ephesus, so as it might not happen to him to spend time in Asia; for he hastened if it were possible for him to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

1 Corinthians 16:8 But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost.

Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, was one of the three ingatherings for which YHWH said all men are to come to Jerusalem, to the Temple with a food offering. Yeshua and Paul have both been recorded obeying this commandment.

As there is no temple in Jerusalem, we do not need to bring a food offering to YHWH. Moreover, in the New Testament, we read that Pentecost is the day that YHWH, as the Holy Spirit, came down to earth to dwell within us. We are now the temple of YHWH.

Today we observe the Feast of Weeks as a day of rest and gathering together for a feast.

Day of Shouting (Day of Trumpets and Yom Teruah)

Leviticus 23:24-25 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first of the month, you shall have a sabbath, a memorable acclamation, a holy gathering. You shall do no work of service, and you shall bring a fire offering to YHWH.
Numbers 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first of the month you shall have a holy gathering; you shall do no work of service. It shall be a day of blowing the trumpets to you.

Matthew 25:5-7 But, the bridegroom delaying, all nodded and slept. And at midnight a cry occurred: Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him. Then all those virgins rose up and prepared their lamps.

We believe that the event being described in this parable occurs on the Day of Shouting, and is the day Yeshua returns for His bride. Please see our study The Day of Shouting to learn more about this very important end-times event.

Revelation19:6-9 And I heard as a sound of a numerous crowd, and as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah! Because the Lord God Almighty reigned. Let us rejoice and let us exult, and we will give glory to him, because the marriage of the Lamb came, and His wife prepared herself. And it was given to her that she be clothed in fine linen, pure and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he says to me, Write: Blessed are the ones having been called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb. And he says to me, These words of God are true.

Yom Teruah is a day for joy and celebration because it will be the day of the wake-up call to the ten virgins, the day the Bridegroom is first seen returning for His bride!

The way for us to observe the Day of Shouting today is to:

do no servile work
give to those in need
study/read Torah aloud until noon
gather together to eat in the afternoon
celebrate, rejoice, and shout for joy

Day of Atonement

Leviticus 23:27-32 Also, on the tenth of this seventh month shall be a day of atonement; you shall have a holy gathering, you shall humble yourselves, and shall bring a fire offering to YHWH. And you shall do no work in this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before YHWH your God. For any person who is not humbled in this same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work in this same day, I shall even destroy that person from the midst of his people. You shall do no work, it is a never-ending statute through your generations, in all your dwellings. It is a sabbath of rest to you, and you shall humble yourselves in the ninth of the month at evening; from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.
Leviticus 16:29-31 And it shall be for a never-ending statute, in the seventh month in the tenth of the month you shall humble yourself and do no work, the native and the alien who is staying in your midst. For on this day he shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you from all your sins; you shall be clean before YHWH. It is a sabbath of rest to you, and you shall humble yourself. It is a never-ending statute.
Numbers 29:7 And on the tenth of this seventh month you shall have a holy gathering; you shall do no work of service, you shall humble your souls.

Acts 27:9 And much time having passed, and the voyage already being dangerous, because the Fast^g3521 already had gone by, Paul warned them, saying, Men, I see that the voyage is about to be with injury, and not only much loss of the cargo and of the ship but also of our souls.

The Greek word translated “fast” is Strong’s g3521 νηστεία nace-ti’-ah: from G3522; abstinence (from lack of food, or voluntary and religious); specially, the fast of the Day of Atonement:—fast(-ing).
Paul was still, even at the end of his life and ministry, observing YHWH’s Appointed Times. In his letters he had instructed all believers, including the Gentiles, to live by his example.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I speak a mystery to you: indeed we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.

The Day of Atonement will be the day of what is commonly known as the rapture. The day of the first resurrection of the dead and the redemption of the Church of Philadelphia. The last trumpet is the one blown on the Day of Atonement leading into a jubilee year. Please see our study The Day of Atonement for more information.

The way we can observe the Day of Atonement is by humbling and afflicting ourselves and resting. It is a sabbath of rest. Some people fast, but you can choose your own method of afflicting and humbling yourself.

Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Ingathering and Feast of Booths)

Leviticus 23:34-36 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, In the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be a Feast of Booths seven days to YHWH. On the first day shall be a holy gathering; you shall do no work of service. Seven days you shall bring a fire offering to YHWH; on the eighth day you shall have a holy gathering; and you shall burn the fire offering to YHWH; it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no work of service.
Leviticus 23:39-43 Also, in the fifteenth day of the seventh month when you gather in the increase of the land, you shall keep the feast of YHWH seven days; on the first day a sabbath and on the eighth day a sabbath. And you shall take to yourselves on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, palm branches, and boughs of oak trees, and willow of the brook, and shall rejoice before YHWH your God seven days. And you shall keep a feast to YHWH seven days in a year, a never-ending statue throughout your generations; in the seventh month you shall keep it a feast. You shall lie in booths seven days; all who are home-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations shall know that I caused the sons of Israel to live in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am YHWH your God.
Numbers 29:12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy gathering; you shall do no work of service; and you shall celebrate a feast of YHWH seven days.
Numbers 29:35 And you shall have a solemn assembly on the eighth day; you shall do no work of service.
Deuteronomy 16:14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son, and your daughter, and your male slave, and your slave-girl, and the Levite, and the alien, and the fatherless, and the widow that are inside your gates.

John 7:2 & 10 And the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles was near. […] But when His brothers went up, then He also went up to the feast—not openly, but as in secret.

Acts 18:20-21 And they asking him to remain over a longer time with them, he did not agree; but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep the coming feast at Jerusalem; but I will come again to you, God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.

The Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows the marriage supper celebration, after Yeshua Messiah returns for His bride. Please see our study on this feast in the YHWH’s Appointed Times series.

The way we observe this feast today is to live in temporary dwellings, in groups if possible, for the seven days. The first day is a rest day, as is the eighth day. The eighth day is a special day that foreshadows the “eighth great day”, which is the time following Yeshua’s millennial reign. It begins with the second resurrection of the dead when everyone will be resurrected.

The Day of Shouting will be when those who believe in Yeshua Messiah (the ten virgins) will hear the call to come out to meet Him. The Day of Atonement will be the day Yeshua takes His bride (the five wise virgins) to the marriage supper of the Lamb, which will be the Feast of Tabernacles.

3)Keep YHWH’s Sabbaths

Leviticus 26:2 You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My Holy Place; I am YHWH!
We find the weekly sabbath commanded in:
- Exodus 34:21 You may work six days, and on the seventh day you shall rest.
We find the sabbath rest for land in:
- Exodus 23:10-11 And you shall sow your land six years, and you shall gather its produce. And the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, and the needy of your people shall eat. And what they leave, the animals of the field shall eat. So you shall do to your vineyard, to your oliveyard.
- Leviticus 25:4-5 And in the seventh year shall be a sabbath rest to the land, a sabbath to YHWH. You shall not sow your field, and you shall not prune your vineyard. You shall not reap that which grows of itself of your harvest; and you shall not gather the grapes of your unkept vine; it shall be a year of rest to the land.
We find YHWH’s jubilee commanded in:
- Leviticus 25:8-13 And you shall number to yourself seven sabbaths of years, seven years times seven, and all the days of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. And you shall cause an alarm, the ram’s horn, to pass over in the seventh month. In the tenth of the month; in the day of atonement shall pass over a rams’ horn throughout all your land; and you shall make holy the fiftieth year. And you shall proclaim liberty in the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee to you. And you shall return every one to his possession; yes, you shall turn back each to his family. It is a jubilee, the fiftieth year; it is a year to you. You shall not sow, nor reap that which grows of itself, nor gather from its unkept vines; for it is a jubilee, it is holy to you; you shall eat its increase out of the field. In the jubilee you shall return each one to his possessions.
The sabbath year of release is commanded in:
- Deuteronomy 15:1-4a At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Everyone who has a loan to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because a release has been proclaimed for YHWH. You may exact it from a foreigner, but your hand shall release whatever is yours with your brother, except when there shall be no one in need among you. For YHWH will greatly bless you in the land that YHWH your God is giving you for an inheritance, to possess it,
- Deuteronomy 15:9 Beware that there is no evil thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release draws near; and your eye be evil against your needy brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to YHWH against you, and it be sin to you.
- Deuteronomy 31:10-12 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of seven years, in the appointed time, the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes in to see the face of YHWH in the place which He chooses, you shall proclaim this law before all Israel, in their ears. Assemble the people, men and women, and the little ones, and your alien who is within your gates, so that they may hear, and so that they may learn, and may fear YHWH your God, and take heed to do all the words of this law.

During the Feast of Tabernacles in the year of release, the Torah is to be read aloud to everyone in a great assembly; and on the Day of Atonement in the year leading into the jubilee year, a trumpet is to be blown.

YHWH’s sabbaths are not just the weekly seventh day. As we see, they also include the rest days during His Appointed Times, the seventh year rest and release, and the jubilees.

The First Great Commandment, to Love YHWH with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, means to obey all of His commandments—to worship Him, to not worship false gods, to respect Him, to keep His appointed times, and to love your neighbour as yourself. The first four of these are the first four of the ten commandments, and the fifth is what Yeshua called the Second Great Commandment, which contains the remaining six commandments.

Please continue this two part series with our study on the Second Great Commandment.

May you be blessed by this study. Shalom.

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