~ Featured Inside ~

Sha1om Aleichem,

    Peace be unto you and all your household trough our Father in heaven and His Son, Yeshua HaMashiach. May you continue to live at peace with all men as much as you are able.
It is our sincere hope that all of you had a spiritually uplifting Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles). Ours was spent with approximately forty brothers and sisters at Elkhorn Lodge in Estes Park, Colorado. indeed, it was the best Feast we have yet to experience.
    One of the most delightful things about this Feast was the abundance of children, especially small ones. It was wonderful to see and experience their beautiful innocence and their joy with the simplest of pleasures. There is so much we can learn about our relationship with our Father in heaven by observing little children and how they relate to their loving parents.
    Everyone attending lived up to the standard (requested the very first evening), that it is all right to disagree, but it is not all right to be disagreeable. in fact, one of the ways we can learn and grow is through our disagreements.
    An agreeable disagreement results in one of two outcomes, either we change our mind about something (thereby growing in knowledge) or the disagreement firms up our currently held belief because we come to better understand the error in the other person’s position.
    Most important was the attitude of love and concern that was expressed by all present. We hope that your festival experience was a blessing to you as well.

~ Hebrew Roots and Judaism ~

    It seems appropriate from time to time to remind our readers (and let our new readers know) that Hebrew Roots does not teach people to follow Rabbinic Judaism.
    Since we often quote from Jewish sources, or report what Jewish tradition teaches, it may seem that we are followers of the Jewish religion. This is simply not true. Part of the misconception stems from a lack of understanding about what Judaism really is.
    The blanket word ‘Judaism’ defies critical definition, because Judaism contains as many sects as Christianity (when you compare the relative sizes of the two religions). This fact accounts for many of the major disagreements which go on between the Ultra-orthodox, Orthodox, Traditional, Conservative and Reform Jewish communities.
    For example, at this particular time a virtual war is going on within Judaism concerning the recognition of conversions to any non-orthodox branch. in Israel only conversions to one of the Orthodox sects are currently considered to be valid, and anyone who converts to say, Reform or Conservative Judaism is not allowed to make aliyah to Israel. (Ah-lee-ah = immigrating to Israel and becoming an Israeli citizen.)

~ The Hebrew Roots ~
~ Of the Christian Faith ~

    It is the express purpose of Hebrew Roots to explore the Hebrew roots of our faith in Messiah, Yeshua. In order to effectively return to the "faith once delivered," we must look into the teachings, traditions and customs of Judaism. You ask why? Because Yeshua (Jesus) was a practicing Jew, and the Jewish people have a very large and profound body of writings that take us back very close to His time.
    For example, the oral traditions have been written down, along with a large body of case law decisions, in a book called the Mishnah (Meesh-nah). The Mishnah was compiled sometime in the third century of the common era, when Rabbi Judah the Prince determined that the oral traditions might be lost due to the Diaspora of the Jewish people. Within the next two centuries, two detailed commentaries were added, one by the sages in Palestine and another by the sages exiled to Babylon. These commentaries are called the Gammara (Gahm-mah-rah) and together with the Mishnah constitute what is know as the Palestinian (or Jerusalem) Talmud, and the better known Babylonian Talmud. Another little known work is the Tosefta (Toe-sehf-tah), which constitutes the oral traditions and case law that did not make it into the Mishnah. By itself, the Tosefta consists of several volumes.
    Are any of these documents equal with Scripture? Of course not, unless one takes the position that the oral Torah has as much validity as the written Torah, which we do not. Does this mean that one should not study these ancient Jewish documents? Well, that decision must be made by each person individually. But if someone takes that position then we would recommend that, in order to be consistent, they should also consider not reading any religious writings, or listening to any sermons; but only study the Bible itself. Obviously, this approach also has it’s problems! Remember when Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch (treasurer) on the road to Gaza? He was reading from Isaiah 53. When asked by Philip if he understood what he read, he responded: "‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’" (Acts 8:3 1).
    All of us need guidance in our spiritual walk. One of the aids in that walk is to learn how the Jewish people of Yeshua’s day understood the Scriptures, where they were correct and where they were incorrect. It is a fact that the Jewish people have maintained far more information about that time and place, and the worship of that era, than have either the secular historians or the Christian Church.
    There are two apparent reasons that have caused the Jewish people to be extremely careful about maintaining the integrity of their writings. 1.) They felt that God had given them this charge, 2.) They knew that it was important to retain their writings lest those writings be lost through the dispersion and persecution which they constantly suffered.
    We can be most thankful for their careful scholarship and for their integrity, with both the Scriptures and their own writings. In addition, the Jewish sages gave all of their Rabbis the right to dissent, and those dissenting opinions can be found today in the above mentioned documents of the Jewish people. Without their records we would have little understanding of first century religion, because neither the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Churches chose to retain the records of those who disagreed with it. (Book burning is not a new phenomenon.)

~ Jewish Customs ~

    Many of the so called Jewish ‘customs are taken right out of the Torah. For example, the Torah instructs us to write the commandments on our doorposts:

    "‘Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always. ...
    "‘You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, ..."
(Deut. 11:1,20-21)

    The use of the Mezuzah (Meh-zoo-zah) is the manner in which the Jewish people fulfill this command.
    So let us not reject out of hand those things which seem to be just a little to ‘Jewish’ to our American tastes. After all, they are doing these things in an effort to obey the commandments as given in the Torah. Perhaps we can learn a few things from them, if we will but listen with an open mind.

~ This Issue ~

    In addition to our regular features, the Preparing the Bride series continues with an article entitled Sin and Leprosy. It is not commonly known that the leprosy of the Bible was always given, by God, as the result of unrepented sin. It is our contention that today’s Bride is afflicted by a form of spiritual leprosy.
    A second article focuses on the very controversial subject of the Bible Codes. These are the supposed ‘hidden messages’ that are found in the Hebrew scriptures, especially in the Torah.

~ Current Offer ~

    Two new taped messages are available for the asking. The first is Part II of a new series: The Early Church. It is entitled Gentiles and the Synagogue, and explores the effect that uncircumcised Gentile Believers had on the growing Messianic community.
    The second tape is Part V of the Wedding of the Messiah series and is entitled: Love Song of the Messiah. If you would like to have either or both of these tapes please complete and return the enclosed tape order form. Please remember, these tapes must be ordered individually as we do not have an automatic tape mailing system.

May the peace of God, be with you always,

Dean & Susan Wheelock

 

Leprosy

     The following is a Midrash, a story written to teach a truth.
     Suppose that you are a member of an ancient Hebrew society. You are betrothed to a beautiful virgin girl, who lives in a faraway town, and have gone back to your father’s house to prepare the Chuppah (Who-pah = wedding chamber) for her.      Much time has already passed but your father has given you no indication that he is anywhere near ready to send you back to get your bride. Legally you and your bride are fully married, but according to custom you are not allowed to consummate the marriage until your father tells you; "Go and fetch your bride, it is time to bring her to the Chuppah."
     You puzzle over the fact that it has been such a long period of time since the betrothal took place. What could be the problem? The Chuppah is all prepared and stocked with provisions for the seven day wedding consummation. It has been quite some time since your father has made any suggestions about further changes that should be made to it. In addition, you have been studying Torah, praying three times a day, working diligently at a job, saving your money and not running around with the boys. Besides, your father has given you no indication that you need to make changes in your personal habits. What could possibly be the problem? You are longing so much to bring your beautiful bride home to the Chuppah and to dwell with her in the fullness of marriage.
     Finally, out of desperation, you go to your father and ask; "Why haven’t you sent me to fetch my bride? Is there something else that I need to do in preparation for marriage? Please tell me, what is the problem?"
     Your father looks at you and with a very sad eye says; "Your bride has contracted a serious, even life threatening illness. She has leprosy. You cannot go for her until she is healed of this terrible disease."
     What a shattering blow to learn about the one with whom you hope to spend the rest of your life. What utter devastation. Even more devastating to you is the realization that leprosy is understood to be a punishment for a serious sin of which the leper has not repented. This means your beloved bride is harboring some sin which she either refuses to recognize or refuses to give up. You wonder what awful sin it is that she has not only committed, but of which she is either unwilling or unable to repent.

     The element of truth in this Midrash is that the Bride of Messiah does have a terrible disease, one that affects the whole body, and that disease is spiritual leprosy. The Bride is afflicted with this disease for a number of reasons. This article will touch on some possible ones. However, this is a condition from which the Bride can be healed and cleansed, so the situation, while very serious, is not hopeless.

~ Biblical Leprosy ~

     Most scholars and medical people agree that the modern disease of leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is not the one that carries that name in the English translations of our Bibles. In Hebrew the word for leprosy is tzara’at (tzah-rah’aht). In Greek the word is lepra (lep-rah) and it means; "scaliness or leprosy." In is interesting to note that James Hastings, in his Dictionary of the Bible, says that tzara’at comes from the word tzr’ah (tzer’ah), and both words are general terms "for any prostrating experience or disabling disease." (p. 575). In other words, the leprosy of the Bible was a disease that caused you to prostrate yourself. This could be interpreted to mean that it would confine a person to bed, but the scriptures do not substantiate that view, as lepers were often seen in public. In actual fact, the disease of leprosy did cause people ‘to prostrate themselves in order to be cured, but it was a prostration born of repentance, not from the symptoms of the illness itself.
     Biblical leprosy did not affect just an individual’s body, it could also afflict one’s clothing, vessels or house. Leprosy of this nature appeared as greenish or reddish spots, which some feel were a type of mildew or mold. On a person’s body it manifested itself as flaky or scaly skin, or ulcerous eruptions. The Jewish Encyclopedia summarizes the characteristic features of leprosy, found in Leviticus 13, as follows: "(1) bright white spots or patches on the skin, the hair on which also was white; (2) the depression of the patches below the level of the surrounding skin; (3) the existence of ‘quick raw flesh;’ (4) the spreading of the scab or scall." (Vol. VIII, p. 9).
     What is described in the Scriptures as ‘leprosy’ is definitely not the modern disease of the same name. More likely it covered a variety of skin diseases similar to modern day psoriasis. What is significant about Biblical leprosy is that all of the lepers mentioned in the Tanakh (Tah-nahk = Old Testament) received their affliction as a result of a serious sin, either their own, or that of a relative.
     The best know of the Old Testament lepers was Miriam the sister of Moshe (Moses). She was stricken with the disease as a result of speaking against the marriage of her brother Moshe to the "Ethiopian woman whom he had married..." (Num. 12:1).
     According to Jewish tradition, both Miriam and Ahron (Aaron) were immediately plagued with leprosy, but Ahron’s leprosy was quickly removed because he had not actually spoken against Moshe, but had committed a lessor sin by listening to Miriam’s complaint and not rebuking her. In Jewish teaching, the words Miriam spoke against Moshe constituted lashon hara (lah-shone hah-rah = evil tongue) which is considered to be one of the greatest of sins.
     God immediately took action against these evil words:

"Then He said, ‘Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision,
And I speak to him in a dream.
Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.
I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?’"
(Num. 12:6-8)

     In Miriam’s case it required an intercessory prayer on the part of Moshe in order for Miriam to be healed.

     "So Aaron said to Moses, ‘Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!’
     "So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, ‘Please heal her, O God, I pray!’"
(Num. 12:11-13)

     God answered Moshe’s brief, but heartfelt, prayer and healed Miriam of her leprosy, but He required her to remain outside the camp, cut off from her people, for seven days.

     "Then the LORD said unto Moses, ‘If her father had spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and after that she be received again. So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journeyed on till Miriam was brought in again."
(Num. 12:14-15)

~ The Laws of Leprosy ~

     The thirteenth chapter of Leviticus details the laws concerning leprosy; whether it be on a person’s body, vessel, clothing or house. It is not the purpose of this article to go into great detail concerning these laws, but rather to look at leprosy as a type of punishment for sin. However, some knowledge of these laws is necessary for us to understand that all forms of leprosy found in the Bible, no matter what the severity, made the bearer of the disease unclean.

     "‘Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, "Unclean! Unclean!"
     "‘He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his habitation shall be outside the camp.’"
(Lev. 13:45-46)

     Once the disease had subsided, the leper was required to be examined by a priest. This examination was done
every seven days, outside the camp, until the priest was convinced the disease had vanished. At that point the leper
was required to go through a ritual cleansing.

     "And the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look; and indeed, if the leprosy is healed in the leper, then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop. And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water. As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field."
(Lev. 14:2-7)

     It is interesting to note that the accouterments used in the cleansing ceremony of the leper; cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop (Lev. 14:4), are the very same ones used in the sacrifice of the red heifer (Num. 19:6). In addition, there is a similarity between this ceremony and the offering of the two goats on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). One is slaughtered and the other is let go. All of these things have significance or they would not be mentioned as part of the rituals.
     Meanwhile, the leper who has been found rid of his disease still has a time consuming and expensive ritual to go through before he can reenter society.

     "He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay outside his tent seven days.
     "But on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows--all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes and wash his body in water, and he shall be clean."
Lev. 14:8-9)

     The phrase ‘wash himself in water,’ is understood in Jewish teaching to be an immersion in a mikvah (meek-vah = immersion pool), what Believers today call a baptismal pool. This was done, not to cleanse the body of dirt, but to signify a change of status in the person being immersed. One was always expected to have bathed before going into the mikvah.
     On the eighth day the cleansed leper was required to bring a sacrifice to the Temple. This sacrifice included two male lambs, one ewe lamb, flour and oil. One animal was for a sin offering, another for a burnt offering and the third for a trespass offering. If the man could not afford the full offering of animals, he was allowed to substitute one male lamb, as a trespass offering, and two turtle-doves or young pigeons, as a sin offering and a burnt offering, along with a grain offering. What was the reason for all of this ritual? To teach the people the difference between being clean and being unclean.

     "This is the law for any leprous sore and scall, for the leprosy of a garment and of a house, for a swelling and a scab and a bright spot, to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law of leprosy."
(Lev. 14:54-57)

     Let it be understood that when the Scriptures speak of people becoming ‘unclean,’ they are speaking of ritual uncleanness, not a dirty physical body. When a person became ritually unclean, he or she was prohibited from worshipping at the Temple. Also, a ritually unclean person could transmit their uncleanness to another person through physical contact. Therefore, it was especially important for the priests and Levites to refrain from situations that would cause them to come into physical contact with other people. To do so would put them in jeopardy of becoming unclean themselves, If they were to be-come unclean they could not perform their duties at the Temple. Since service at the Temple was considered not only a great honor, but an absolute obligation before God, the priests and Levites took great pains to make sure that they would not come in contact with anyone or anything that might make them ritually unclean.

~ The Causes of Uncleanness ~

     There were a number of things, in addition to leprosy, that could cause ritual uncleanness. One of the most obvious was contact with a dead body.

     "‘He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days. He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.
     "‘Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person shall be cut off from Israel He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him.
     "‘This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days; and every open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean.
     "‘Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.’"
(Num. 19:11-16)

     Not only was contact with a dead body a cause of uncleanness, even going into the tent of a dead person rendered one unclean. Also, graves were a source of ritual uncleanness, as was the touching of a dead man’s bone. In fact, not only did contact with a grave render a person ritually unclean, if one’s shadow were to cross a grave that person was also considered to be ritually unclean.
     Uncleanness also came by other means. Each month a woman goes through an unclean period during her menstrual cycle. During this time a mated woman would have to refrain from having intimacy with her husband, plus, she could not go to the Temple to worship. Anyone touching her also became unclean. For this reason she was required to wear clothing that identified her as being unclean so that others could avoid physical contact with her. In fact, another person was not even allowed to sit upon the bed on which she lay during her unclean time. (See Leviticus 15:19-30.) She was required to go through a purification ritual at the end of each monthly period.
     Likewise, a man who had a discharge from his body became unclean and also had to go through a purification ritual in order to be declared clean. Whatever object the unclean person sat upon also became unclean, and anyone that sat upon that item of furniture also became unclean. (See Leviticus 15:1-18).
     It is difficult for us today to understand why it was so terrible for religious Jews to be in a state of ritual uncleanness. In modern society it is common for women to use sanitary items that allow them to maintain a regular lifestyle and no one is the wiser. It would be unthinkable, in Western society, for a woman to actually dress in a manner that told the entire world that she was having a menstrual period. But in God’s society, things are very different. All of these laws are given to instruct us about very important concepts. From the laws of ritual cleanliness we learn that one did not dare to approach the God of the Universe, the Creator of all things, in a state of ritual uncleanness, for no unclean person can come before God and live.

     "‘Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.
     "‘This is the law for one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, and for her who is indisposed because of her customary impurity, and for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him who lies with her who is unclean.’"
(Lev. 15:31-33)

~ Cleansing the Unclean ~

     While it is very easy to become ritually unclean, the methods of ridding one’s self of that uncleanness varied from the simple and inexpensive to the expensive and complex. We have already seen what was required for the cleansing of leprosy. Other forms of uncleanness did not demand quite as much ritual or expense.
     Cleansing from contact with a dead body required seven days and two sprinklings with ‘the waters of purification.’ These were the waters which contained the ashes of the Red Heifer.
     The man with a discharge and the woman coming out of her menses had to wash their clothes, and bathe in water. Then on the eighth day they had to bring to the priest two turtledoves or two young pigeons as an offering.
     In all cases of uncleanness, part of the ritual purification process included bathing in water. The Jewish people always understand this terminology to be immersion in a mikvah or immersion pool. One was required to be physically clean before entering the mikveh. A witness would stand beside the pool to testify that the person immersing themselves went completely under water. It was this immersion in the mikveh of ‘living water’ that completed the cleansing ritual and signified that the person had changed status from ‘unclean’ to ‘clean.’ There is much that we, as Believers, can learn about our relationship with God from the laws of clean and unclean.

~ Sins That Cause Leprosy ~

     According to Jewish tradition, there are ten sins that caused a person to be afflicted by the plague of tzara’at (leprosy), however, not everyone who committed one of these sins was afflicted by the disease. Only those who found it very difficult to do teshuvah (teh-shoe-vah = repentance) were afflicted with leprosy. It was felt that only the ‘dreadful suffering of tzara’at’ would bring such a person to the place where they were willing to fully repent of their sin.
     These ten sins are:

• Serving Idols
• Immorality
• Murder
• Desecrating or Blaspheming the Name of God
• Robbing the Public
• Acting In a Capacity Not Permitted
• Conceit
• Lashon Hara (evil speech)
• An Evil Eye (acting miserly)
• Taking a Vain Oath

     The remainder of this article will be taken up with the examination of these ten sins. Because of the severe nature of these sins, any manifestation of them within the Body of Messiah may cause the Bride to become afflicted with a spiritual form of leprosy, unless complete confession and repentance takes place in a speedy manner.

~ Serving Idols ~
(Sin #1)

     "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."
(Ex. 20:3-6)

     Idol worship can take many forms. Anciently, it took the form of people bowing down in front of a statue, painting or amulet to pray. Unfortunately, many people today are still caught up in this form of idolatry.
     But idolatry can take other forms as well. Whatever a person puts between themselves and God is an idol. This can include one’s career, money, power, family or spouse, or a philosophy or religion that does not focus on Torah and the Scriptures. One thing the Bride of Messiah must learn, and learn well, is that serving her Husband, Yeshua HaMashiach, must be first and foremost in her life.
     One of the punishments for idolatry is tzara’at (leprosy). This is born out in the scriptures by one of the punishments which was inflicted upon the children of Israel for their Sin with the Golden Calf.

     "So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made."
(Ex. 32:35)

     Tradition holds that the plague mentioned in this verse is that of leprosy. Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah who today stand guilty of the sin of idolatry? If so, complete repentance and a change of lifestyle is urgently needed.

~ Immorality ~
(Sin #2)

     "You shall not commit adultery."
(Ex. 20:14)

     Yeshua extended the definition of the sin of adultery to include even the thought of sexual immorality:

     "‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not commit adultery." But I say unto you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’"
(Matt. 5:27-28)

     Sexual immorality is especially evil because of the effect that it can have on other people. Many times adultery can cause the complete disruption of two families; the four adults, plus numerous children, not to mention the grandparents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, etc., who sometimes feel they must break off relationships with divorced in-laws’ who were formerly held in high esteem, in order to remain loyal to their blood relatives.
     Jewish tradition tells us that when the Pharaoh of Egypt took Abraham’s wife Sarah into his palace with the intent of having sexual relations with her, God brought swift punishment (even before he could go through with his plan) by striking his entire household with tzara’at (leprosy).

     "But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife."
(Gen. 12:17)

     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who stand guilty of the sin of immorality? If so, complete repentance and a change of lifestyle is urgently needed.

~ Murder ~
(Sin #3)

     "You shall not murder."
(Ex. 20:13)

     Yeshua extended the definition of murder to include being angry without a cause:

     "‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder," and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!" shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!" shall be in danger of hell fire.’"
(Matt. 5:20-22)

     God can, and does, forgive all sins including the sin of murder, but only if the one who has committed the sin asks for forgiveness and fully repents (I John 1:9). The story of Joab, King David’s general, is very interesting, for Joab committed a murder during a time of war. He was not given the death penalty, nor was he personally afflicted with leprosy, but rather King David placed a curse upon his family which included tzara’at.
     After King Saul’s death, David found himself at war with Saul’s descendants. Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, was officially recognized as king by all the tribes except Judah. Ishboseth’s general, Abner, went to David and made a pact. But David’s general, Joab, became angry when he heard that Abner had met with David. Joab hated Abner because he had been responsible for the death of Joab’s brother in a recent battle, and so he had Abner killed. David was furious, and showed the nation that he had nothing to do with the murder by marching in Abner’s funeral procession. David then placed a curse upon Joab and his descendants.

     "And afterward, when David heard it, he said, ‘My kingdom and I are guiltless before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.’"
(II Sam. 3:28-29)

     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who stand guilty of hatred or murder? If so, complete repentance and a change of heart is urgently needed.

~ Desecrating the Name of God ~
(Sin #4)

     "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."
(Ex. 20:7)

     It is perhaps our greatest purpose in life to glorify the name of God. We can do this in both word and deed.

"Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, 0 you servants of the LORD!
You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant."
(Psalm 135:1-3)

     However, there are grave consequences for blaspheming the name of God:

     "Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought each other in the camp. And the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed; and so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)
     "Then they put him in custody, that the mind of the LORD might be shown to them.
     "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: "Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death."
(Lev. 24:10-16)

     The reason the Jewish people refuse to speak the name of God (YHVH) is because they do not wish to risk taking God’s name in vain. Instead, they substitute the Hebrew words Adonai (Lord) or HaShem (the Name) whenever they speak or encounter, in Scripture, the name of God. When writing these substitute words for the Name, some will eliminate the vowels. This is done as a sign of respect for the ineffable name of God. Thus, God becomes G-d, and Lord becomes L-rd.
     In the Jewish world the actual name of God (YHVH) can only be spoken in synagogue on Yom Kippur. When the name is spoken all of the worshippers fall to the floor on their faces. It is apparent from these practices that the Jewish people hold the Name of God in great awe and reverence.
     Several people have written to Hebrew Roots urging us to use the ‘Scared Names’ exclusively in our publication. While we also appreciate their stand on this issue, and do not condemn it in any way, we are convinced that very few people currently know the correct pronunciation for God’s Name (YHVH). We do use Yeshua as the given Hebrew name of our Saviour, but also recognize that it was by the name of Jesus Christ that we were brought to repentance and baptized into His body of believers. Therefore, we continue to also honor ‘Jesus Christ’ as the anglicized form of the Hebrew name and title, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).
     What then constitutes taking the LORD’s name in vain? The Jew would say it is the indiscriminate use of the tetragrammaton (YHVH). The Sacred Names Believers would say the use of substitutes such as Adonai, LORD, God, and the name Jesus.
     However, consider this; one does not need to address our Father in heaven by His actual name. I never called my physical father Emory; it was always Dad, or Daddy or Pa. Neither do I call my spiritual Father by His name, but rather by the closer and more familiar terms ‘Father,’ or the Hebrew form ‘Abba.’ In our opinion, one even more virulent form of taking the LORD’s name in vain is to commit open and unrepentant sin before others while claiming to be serving the one true God.
     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who stand guilty of desecrating God’s name? If so, complete repentance and a change of behavior is required.

~ Robbing the Public ~
(Sin #5)

     "You shall not steal."
(Ex. 20:15)

     While any kind of stealing is abhorrent to those who abide by the laws of God, there is one particular kind of stealing which, in Jewish tradition, was punishable by tzara’at (leprosy). This was the merchant or businessman who made a practice of robbing the public by overcharging for his merchandise or service.
     Sometimes a person will steal because he is poor and needs food for himself or his family. Such a situation may occur because the society in which the individual lives is unwilling to provide the assistance needed to help the individual through times of difficulty and back into productive work. The Torah makes it clear that it is every man’s obligation to help his brother or sister who is in actual need. This does not excuse able bodied men from working, if work is available.
     However, for a merchant (who is already making a living by charging fair prices for his commodities) to overcharge, so that he can gain more money from his customers, is abhorrent to the Jewish community.

"A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
But a lust weight is His delight."
(Prov. 11:1)

     "‘You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the LORD.’"
(Lev. 19:36-37)

     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who stand guilty of robbing the public? If so, complete repentance and a change of business habits is required.

~ Acting in a Capacity ~
~ Not Permitted to Him ~
(Sin #6)

     "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s."
(Ex. 20:17)

     Of all the commandments listed in the ‘ten words,’ the one on coveting is the most difficult to understand from a strictly human standpoint. The apostle Paul said:

     "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’"
(Rom. 7:7)

     One of the ways in which a person covets is to desire the position or prestige that another person enjoys. This affliction of the heart can take thousands of forms. It might be the desire of a person to be of the opposite sex. It might be the desire of a person to be a leader when they possess no natural leadership skills. It might be the desire of a person to be rich and influential in their community when they have not earned that position. Look at the example of King Uzziah:

     "And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper."
(II Chron. 26:4-5)

     Now one would think that a king would have no desire to covet, since he would probably have all the physical items his heart desired. However, once King Uzziah’s mentor, the prophet Zechariah, died, Uzziah began to drift away from his study of the Torah and took up farming. In fact, farming became his passion.

     "Also he built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains; he also had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved the soil."
(II Chron. 26:10)

     Now there is nothing wrong with loving the soil, if you are called to work the soil. However, Uzziah was called to be king of Judah. One of the requirements to be king was to study Torah on a daily basis, so that righteous rulership would exist in the nation. As a result of his drift from Torah study, Uzziah became proud in his heart and desired yet another position that was not his, that of priest in the Temple.

     "But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to bum incense on the altar of incense.
     "So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD, who were valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.’
     "Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to bum incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.
     "King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land."
(II Chron. 26:16-21)

     The apostle Paul made it very clear that the Bride of Messiah is a body, tidy framed together by God Himself.

     "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
     "If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing: If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them in the body just as He pleased. ...
     "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way."
(I Cor. 12:12,15-18,27-31)

     That more ‘excellent way’ is not positions of power and prestige within the Church, but a humble attitude of love and respect for all the members of the Bride of Messiah.
     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who stand guilty of coveting by acting in a capacity not permitted to them? If so, complete repentance and a change of attitude is required.

~ Conceit ~
(Sin #7)

     "‘You shall have no other gods before Me."
(Ex. 20:3)

     In effect, all of the sins that caused the biblical form of leprosy came from an attitude of conceit. Anytime a person puts himself above others, he is setting himself up for a fall into sin.
     Conceit is the exact opposite of humbleness. Like leaven (a type of sin), it puffs one up. But the Bride of Messiah must learn to walk in "...the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (I Cor. 5:8).

     "‘For whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’"
Luke 14:11)

     Conceit is never far from the heart of any human being. It was in the hearts of the disciples when they came to Yeshua and asked:

     "...‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’
     "And Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.’"
(Matt. 18:1-5)

     It is the natural instinct of the carnal mind to want to put one’s self above other people, for this is the attitude from where the world’s form of self esteem comes. But it is a false form of self respect, and one into which the members of the Bride must not fall.
     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who stand guilty of conceit? If so, complete repentance and a humbleness of heart is required.

~ Lashon Hara ~
(Sin #8)

     "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
(Ex. 20:16)

     The most extreme forms of tzara’at (leprosy) were said to have come forth upon those individuals who committed the sin of lashon hara (lah-shone hah-rah = evil tongue). It is said that one who speaks lashon hara denies the basic concepts of the Torah. If this is true, then the Bride of Messiah is in deep, deep trouble, for the evil tongue; the slanderous tongue; the tongue that has little good to say about anyone (be they Believer or non-believer), is rampant within the Believing community. It is important to note that lashon hara is more than just speaking lies about other people. Telling the truth about someone can also fall into the category of lashon hara if the results of one’s statement inflicts injury upon another individual. All kinds of injury are included in lashon hara; physical, monetary, mental, spiritual or emotional.
     Let us again examine the case of Miriam, the sister of Moshe, in this regard:

     "Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman."
(Num. 12:1)

     There are a couple of different ways of looking at this verse. The most frequent understanding is that Miriam and Ahron criticized Moshe because he had married outside of his racial group. Ethiopians were understood to be descendants of Noah’s son Ham, as they were not of Semitic (descendants of Shem) origin.
     Another way of looking at this, is that they may have been critical of the troubles that Moshe and Zipporah had during their trek from Midian to Egypt, and the fact that Zipporah seems to have spoken disrespectfully to Moshe over the issue of circumcision.

     "And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, ‘Surely you are a husband of blood to me!’
     "So He let him go. Then she said, ‘You are a husband of blood!’ -- because of the circumcision."
(Ex. 4:24-26)

     After the Exodus we find that Moshe and Zipporah are not living together, for Zipporah’s father, Jethro, brings her back to Moshe.

     "Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, with her two sons, ... and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God."
(Ex. 18:2-3,5)

     This passage has led some to speculate that Moshe and Zipporah were divorced, and that the Ethiopian woman mentioned in Numbers 12 is a different woman altogether. This theory also seems plausible when one considers the fact that it is difficult to draw a connection between the people called Midianites and the Ethiopians.
     Jewish tradition has a different view. They teach that Moshe had stopped living with Zipporah as a husband. The reason given for this decision was because of the command that God had given to the children Israel prior to His revelation on Mt. Sinai. At that time God had said:

     "The Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, ‘Be ready for the third. day; do not come near your wives.’"
(Ex. 19:14-15)

     Since Moshe was in constant communication with God, he apparently felt it was necessary to remain apart from his wife so that he would never be in an unclean state due to having sexual relations with her. Since God had not rebuked him on this point, Moshe felt he was doing the correct thing by staying apart.
     Whatever the reason for the criticism, the simple fact remains that Miriam spoke against Moshe concerning his marriage, and Ahron listened to her without rebuking her testimony.
     This sin would have been great enough but it was compounded by the next statement:

     "And they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?’ And the LORD heard it."
(Num. 12:2)

     In this case, it would have been bad enough for Miriam and Ahron to express their displeasure over Moses marital relationship (whatever the problem might have been), but they compounded their sin by putting themselves on an equal status with Moshe. This makes them also guilty of the sin of coveting; ‘Acting in a Capacity Not Permitted Them.’
     In the above example we can see that once lashon hara has been expressed, it often leads the speaker (or those who hear it) to commit other sins that would not have occurred had the evil words never been spoken in the first place.
     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who stand guilty of lashon hara? If so, complete repentance and a change of speech habits is required.

~ An Evil Eye ~
(Sin #9)

     "You shall not steal"
(Ex. 20:15)

     In Jewish teaching, the term ‘evil eye characterizes someone who is miserly, who is not willing to share his things with those in need, or is not willing to give generously to the poor.
     It is said that the punishment for this type of sin is to have one’s house stricken with leprosy. Thus, if an individual refused to loan a needy neighbor some food by saying that he did not have what was requested (when in actual fact he did have it), all of the belongings of his house would be put out in the street, when the house was vacated because of it’s leprous condition. That way, everyone could see that the man not only had an ‘evil eye,’ he also was a liar.
     A miserly attitude is indicative of a greater problem that exists within the personality of the individual so afflicted. It is the outward manifestation of an inward tendency to disrespect or to even hate others.

     "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, (KJV = evil’), your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness."
(Matt. 6:22-23)

     Yeshua equated the ‘evil eye’ with the laborer who was angry because he received the same amount of pay for working a full day as did the laborers who only worked for one hour, even though the full-day laborer had agreed to the given wage ahead of time. In other words, he wanted more than he had bargained for.

     "‘Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
     "So the last will be first, and the first last. for many are called, but few chosen."
(Matt. 20:14-16)

     The early laborer should have been pleased that the man who was unable to find work all day long was blessed by the landowner in such a generous way. Certainly this late laborer would have been happy to work all day long had he been able to find work the first thing in the morning. To condemn the landowners generosity to this needy laborer is to have the inherent spirit of an ‘evil eye.’
     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who have an ‘evil eye?’ If so, complete repentance and a change of these miserly habits is required.

~ Taking a Vain Oath ~
(Sin #10)

     "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
(Ex. 20:16

     To stand up in court and take an oath to tell "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," and then perjure one’s self, is indeed the ‘taking of a vain oath.’ But it is also a ‘vain oath’ to tell someone (whether in a court of law or not) that something is true, when you know for a fact that it is false.
     As Believers we are cautioned by our Savior and Husband, Yeshua HaMashiach, that we are not to swear at all.

     "‘Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord." But I say to you, do not swear at all neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; not by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your "Yes" by "Yes," and your "No," "No." For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.’"
(Matt. 5:34-37)

     There is a classic example in Scripture where a man took a ‘vain oath’ (one he knew was not true) and was plagued with leprosy as a result. It is the story of Gehazi, the servant of the prophet of God, Elisha.
     Naaman was the commander of the army of the nation of Syria and he was afflicted with leprosy. A captured servant girl from Israel suggested to Naaman’s wife that he contact a prophet of God in Samaria for possible healing of his affliction.
     So the king of Syria composed a letter to the king of Israel asking him to heal Naaman of his leprosy. The king of Israel was extremely upset be-cause he had no power to heal leprosy or any other disease. The king of Israel was afraid that when the king of Syria learned that he was powerless to perform the required healing that war would ensue.
     However, Elisha the prophet heard about the problem and asked that Naaman be sent to him. Naaman came to Elisha, but Elisha did not even go out to see him. He merely told Gehazi, his servant, to tell Naaman to immerse himself seven times in the Jordan river and his leprosy would disappear.
     Naaman was angry that Elisha did not come out to see him, but was finally persuaded by his attendants to try out the cure anyway. Sure enough, the leprosy disappeared immediately and completely.
     Naaman returned to Elisha to thank him and to offer him valuable gifts. But Elisha declined the gifts:

"But he said, ‘As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.’ And he urged him to take it but he refused."
(II Kings 5:16)

     Naaman left with his entourage to return to Syria. However, Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, had overheard the conversation and became greedy. He followed after Naaman and intercepted him on the road:

     "So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, ‘Is all well?’
     "And he said, ‘All is well. My master has sent me, saying, "Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’"
     "So Naaman said, ‘Please, take two talents.’ And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him.
     "Now he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, ‘Where did you go Gehazi?’ and he said, ‘Your servant did not go anywhere.’
     "Then he said to him, ‘Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants: Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.’
     "And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow."
(II Kings 5:21-27)

     Are there any members of the Bride of Messiah today who have taken a ‘vain oath?’ If so, complete repentance and a determination never to do so again is required.

~ The Leprosy of the Bride ~

     What do all these stories about the punishment of sin through leprosy have to do with the twentieth century Bride of Messiah? After all, the biblical form of leprosy no longer exists, and sin is no longer punished in this manner.
     Well, there is a reason for all of this instruction, for a great deal of Scripture is taken up teaching us about how leprosy was used as an immediate punishment for very grave sin. It was all recorded so that those upon whom the end of the age has come might read, understand and come to a righteous fear of our Creator God. For:

     "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
(II Tim. 3:16)

     But how does all of this apply to us today?
     Simple: Sin still exists in the Body of Messiah, the Bride of Christ; for the Church still lives in the house of her evil earthly father, HaSatan, the adversary. Like a leprous cancer, sin in all of its forms has invaded the Body of the Bride of Messiah. It appears in various forms of spiritual sickness that we see taking hold of the Believing community. Yes, false doctrines are a part of it, but the real leprosy is one of the spirit, not of the mind. An inability to truly love one another; the willingness of so many to believe the worst about other Believers; the lack of concern for those who are in need or suffer from physical aliments, and the list goes on and on.

     "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men shall be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanders, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
(II Tim. 3:1-5)

~ What Must We Do? ~

     Today the orthodox Jews believe the entirety of the world is in a state of ritual uncleanness, for there are no ashes of the Red Heifer by which a person may be ritually cleansed. Certainly, in relationship to Temple worship that is true.
     But there is a way for an individual, who is called by God, to be spiritually cleansed of these terrible sins and of the spiritual leprosy that grips the world. That way is through complete trust and confidence in our Husband and Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach. Yeshua is now our High Priest, He is the one who is able to cleanse us from our spiritual uncleanness. He is the one through whom forgiveness of those sins (which cause our spiritual uncleanness) comes.

     "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
(I John 1:9)

     But it requires more than just asking Him to forgive us of our sins. We must be prepared to do the obedient work of the Spirit that is required to shut the door to future sins. As Yeshua said to the woman caught in adultery, we are to "...go and sin no more." (John 8:11).
     In the Old Testament examples we have just studied, what good would it have done to be cleansed of one’s leprosy only to turn around and commit the same sin and fall again into a leprous state? Surely, Miriam and Ahron must have learned a very great lesson from their experience with the immediate effects of the sin of lashon hara.
     One of the problems we face as Believers in these last days, is that God does not usually take immediate action with us in punishing us for our sins. Does this mean that punishment for sin will never come? Of course not. Judgment will come if there is not true repentance and a firm commitment to not perpetrate that particular sin again.

     "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
     "Now
     ‘If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
     Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?’"
(I Peter 4:17-18)

     "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
     "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
(I John 1:7-10)

     "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
     "Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?"
(Rom. 6:1-2)

     Sin is a spiritual disease, and the punishment for unrepented sin is spiritual leprosy.

~ The Unrepentant Bride ~

     So why is the Bride unrepentant? In large part it is because most of the members of the Bride are at least partially ignorant of what constitutes sin. Why is this? Because the Bride has forsaken the instruction of God, the Torah, the law of Moses which defines sin.
     It is ‘written:

     "Whosoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."
(I John 3:4)

     The Torah (the first five books of the Bible) defines sin. That is how the Bride comes to know when she has done something that does not please her Husband, Yeshua. Now, when she discovers these errors, it is necessary for her to go before the throne of grace and ask forgiveness. But it is also necessary that she determine in her heart to not make that mistake again. As this process continues, the Bride will eventually come to the place where she begins to look at the law (Torah) as her friend, not her enemy. For this is the source that shows the Bride how not to sin; the source from which she learns the kind of behavior that will please her Husband and make for a happy marriage.
     It is written:

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways."
(Psalm 119:1-3)

     It is time that the Bride of Messiah be cleansed of her leprosy so that the wedding can go forth as planned. Each of us, as members (or cells) of the Bride, must take the initiative to cleanse ourselves of sin through the agency of the blood of Messiah, and determine to live according to the Torah of Truth.

     "‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’
     "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."
(Rev. 19:7-8)

DEW

~ Sources ~

Hastings, James, ed., Dictionary of the Bible, Charles Scribners Sons, New York, 1963.
The Jewish Encyclopedia 12 vols., Funk & Wagnalls Co., New York & London, 1901.
The Open Bible, The New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985.
Strong, James, S.T.D., L.L.D., Strong’s New Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, World Bible Publishers, Inc., Iowa Falls, 1986.
Weissman, Moshe, The Midrash Says, 5 vols. Kenei Yakov Publications, Brooklyn, 1982.