Jeremiah 34:8-22 and Mark 1:1-2:28

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

JEREMIAH 34:8-22, 33:25-26

    Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet" because Israel had returned to idolatry, and corruption, YHVH sends him with a message to Israel, "Repent" and "turn from your sins", one of the sins was to go back on their word.  Jeremiah told them that God had said, "Release your slaves" Since they had not released them after 7 years, they did that, but afterward, they "re-captured" their slaves and returned them to captivity, this is to be "double-minded" for "appearance sake" they released the slaves/servants, but when they thought that "the prophet wasn't looking" they went back on their word. Result? Babylon came and captured Israel! And king Zedekiah was taken to Babylon as a slave.

     How well do we as believers respond when someone calls our attention? When we are in the wrong, do we really repent, and turn from our sins? or.... when we think no one is looking, go back to our sins? Our old attitudes, our old "issues?" A thief looks ahead, in back, to the left, to the right, to make sure that no one is looking, but the thief never looks "up"! Yes, our Heavenly Father who is on high is looking down on us all, and observes ALL our actions, even in private, so, we are NEVER alone! Someone is always watching us.

     God, his holy angels, Satan and his demons, all that are in the spirit realm are always watching our every move.  So, make sure our lives are holy, unto God on high.

MARK 1:1-2:28

     The talmid/disciple Mark writes about John the Baptist, and his ministry to prepare the people for the coming of his cousin, Yeshua, preparing hearts, and minds.  Baptism was important in Jewish life, it symbolized who was once unclean, is now clean, from "Tamei" to "Tahor", from "death to life".

     When a born-again believer is baptized, the believer identifies himself or herself with Yeshua in death and life, death, burial, and resurrection.  But John was just "preparing" the way for He who is THE WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.

     Yeshua is the WAY to eternal life, He is the TRUTH, which is the opposite of lies and deception, and He is LIFE eternal, to those who embrace Him as Savior and LORD.

     So, How are we to walk our "Halacha?" (Spiritual walk) We need to walk in HIS WAYS.  What are HIS WAYS? The way of the Torah, obedient to HIS mitzvoth.  If we are walking in HIS WAYS, We are walking in the TRUTH, and if we walk in the TRUTH, and we have accepted the LIVING TRUTH (Emet Chai) then we have ETERNAL LIFE, No wonder Yeshua identifies himself by these three words.     

     We are all called by Yeshua through his spirit, to follow him, do we follow Him? or...do we expect HIM to follow US? He teaches us through HIS word, are we listening?