If there’s any one great takeaway to be extracted from the story of how David handled the famine caused by the curse of blood-guilt hanging over the land of Israel, it is this:
Consult God’s Word instead of relying on cultural traditions or the opinions of religious experts.
That’s it.
That’s really what it comes down to.
Had David done that, 7 innocent descendants of Saul’s seed would not have lost their lives.
The bottom line is that David’s response was based on the religious superstitions and social protocol of his day.
But you know what else is sad?
Had David really tried to take a course of action prescribed by the Torah, he would have faced unanimous resistance from his own court and the people.
Why?
Because that’s how far removed Israelite society was from God’s Word at this time.
And lest we become too judgmental and shake our heads in disgust at these ancient Jews, I’ve got news for you homies.
Modern Christianity is much worse, with all of its manmade doctrines that claim to speak for the Bible.
I betcha if you’re reading this blog, it’s because you sensed something was not quite right with the pork-eating, Sabbath-breaking, pagan Christmas and Easter-celebrating congregation you are or used to be a part of.
Ya feel me?
You know, over the years, I’ve come to recognize four signs that indicate the Lord could be trying to wake you up to the truth of His Word and the danger of staying put at your current congregation.
So tell me, do any of the following resonate with you?
SIGN 1:
You possess this stubborn desire to go to the source, the Scriptures, to determine what God REALLY has to say on certain matters (especially concerning the nature of His son and the true definition of sexual immorality) instead of relying on what men have to say.
SIGN 2:
You meet a lot of resistance from the mediocre-minded in your congregation when you share your discoveries, again taken directly from Scripture.
Maybe you are accused of rejecting Christ for denying the Trinity.
Or your family starts worrying about you, or even worse, outright rejects you.
SIGN 3:
The leadership of your congregation starts trying to put you in your place in a very condescending fashion.
You are reminded in so many not-so-subtle ways that they are the ones who possess the ridiculous PhDs and ministry degrees.
Never mind that, besides the Apostle Paul, every one of Yeshua’s hand-picked disciples possessed only the equivalent of a middle-school education.
The implication is that since your pastor and his cronies are the experts and keepers of God’s Word, you’d do best to keep your mouth shut and just go along with the crowd.
SIGN 4:
You are warned NOT to study the “Old” Testament because it is a danger to your faith and spiritual well-being.
This sign may be another manifestation of sign 3, but I believe it warrants its own separate category since it’s so common.
This obviously ties into Christianity’s lawless theology, which states that Jesus did away with the Law and that any attempts to obey it are equivalent to trying to achieve your salvation by works.
And there you have it.
These are the four signs of the Lord trying to wake you up to a Hebrew Roots revolution that I believe is occurring all around the world right now.
How many of these signs have you personally experienced?
Personally, I’ve experienced all four.
And actually, I’ve experienced a 5th sign, which is more the outcome after the first four signs.
I’ve been asked to leave my former congregation…
Or at least, keep my mouth shut when it comes to my pro-Torah and anti-Trinitarian views.
So what’s the lesson here?
Simple.
All believers have the same choice placed before them as David had.
Seek to study and obey God’s Word so you can do what’s right in His eyes…
Or continue along with what’s normal in your congregation and society, no matter how anti-Scriptural it is.
Tragically, many will choose this wider, well-trodden path because most people lack the courage to disrupt what’s comfortable and familiar to them.
The other reason is that a lot of folks don’t like to admit they’re wrong and repent.
Why?
Because that means they’ll have to do the one thing all human beings hate to do: Change
They’ll have to change what they eat, who they sleep with, and what they prioritize in their lives.
And yes, that might mean saying goodbye to your current congregation…FOREVER!
Ya feel me?
To close, I leave you with this message from the Messiah himself to be found in the Book of Revelation:
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”-Revelation 3:1-6
To me, the most sobering part of this message is the words “Wake up!”
We’ve become way too freakin’ comfortable in our never-rock-the-boat maple-syrupy “love others into the kingdom” sentimental risk-free style of living for the Lord that involves singing a bunch of worship songs on Sunday morning, superficial banter over coffee and cookies after the boring-as-all-hell sermon and then binging on porno that very same afternoon (probably turning to sexual stimulation because the spineless non-confrontational message was so damn boring and uninspiring).
Are ya feeling me here?
If not, well then all the more reason why Yeshua’s message is for you.
He’s telling you…
Wake up!
Not only have you strayed from the wrong path by thinking everything is fine and dandy with your comfortable extra-crunchy Skippy Peanut Butter and Caesar-flavored Doritos lifestyle…
You’re also in the greatest danger of being removed from the Book of Life.
So wake up from your slumber.
Don’t place so much freakin’ blind confidence in official church doctrines and religious institutions without being a good Berean and examining the truth for yourself.
And what is the Truth?
God’s Word…
And the One whom He sent…
Whom John proclaimed was the Word become flesh.
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.”
-Matthew 7:13
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