Holy Scriptures and Israel

Female Voiceover: Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Here, what he is really saying is that the believer is to grow and to mature by being rooted and grounded in love. Love for God, love for the Messiah Yeshua, love for the people of God, but rooted and grounded as he mentioned in other passages.

The psalmist of Israel says, "Blessed is the man who walketh not after the counsel of the ungodly, and sitteth not in the seat of the scornful, and standeth not in the way of sinners, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree by the water, growing." This is Psalm 1:1-3. So the Lord wants the believers to be rooted and grounded in love, love for God, love for Yeshua, love for the people of God.

That's why we teach every Shabbat, every Friday, the Bible. The Bible is our instruction book. It teaches us, it draws us, it speaks to us, it convicts us, it helps us, it guides us. We don't always obey it, but that's why we teach the word of God. But what happens when we don't teach the word of God? When the word of God is not being taught, and we are not being grounded?

Some that used to say, "Salvation is only by faith in Yeshua the Messiah," a few years after say, "Not really. You can get saved on a basis of your good works or some other things." Or before they used to say, "Yeshua is the only way of salvation. He died for us on the tree." Well, it's not only through Yeshua later on. Why? They were not rooted and grounded in the love for the word, the love for the Lord, the love for the people of God, the love for Yeshua.

If we are not rooted and grounded in the word of God, we will be able to allow all sort of doctrine and teachings to creep into our lives and to sway us. By the way, we're going to go to Chapter 4 and you see why the gifts were given, in order that the believers will not be sway with every wind of doctrine. In fact, let me read that. It says here in Chapter 4, verse 14, "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

This is important, to be rooted and grounded in the word of God, in the love of God, in the things of the Lord. Paul is praying. This is his second request from the Abba, God the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. He prayed that the Messiah will dwell in our hearts, will feel at home in our hearts. Secondly, in verse 17, that the believer will be rooted and grounded in the things of the Lord. That's very precious, brothers and sisters.

So we have the first request, verse 16. We have the second request in verse 17. And now the third request we have in verse 18 and the first part of verse 19. Look what Paul is prayed thirdly. Paul prayed to know in our lives what Yeshua have done for us, to comprehend, to grasp, and to know the love of the Messiah in our own personal life.

So he is saying in verse 18, "That ye may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length, and depth, and height," and verse 19a, "And to know the love of Mashiach, which passes knowledge." Now here is the third request from the Lord. Notice that he does what he does here. He's using, you might say, four directions: the width first of all, then the length, then the depth, and ultimately the height.

What he is really saying here is exactly what God said to our forefathers in the past in connection with the land of Canaan, the land of Canaan. Let me give you two verses, please. Genesis Chapter 13. Please go back to Genesis Chapter 13. Look what God said to Avraham Avinu, to Abraham our father. He promised Abraham a land, Chapter 12, verses 1-3.

But now that Abraham began his journey towards the promised land, now he is telling him in Chapter 13 and verse 17. Notice what he's saying to him. "Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto you." He is saying to Abraham our father, "I promised you the land. That is a sure promise. God is going to give Abraham and his descendants the promised land, the land of Canaan, the land of Israel."

But now, "Abraham, I want you to walk as it says here in Chapter 13. I want you to walk through the length of the land, and through the width of the land." In other words, not only to have it positionally, but also have it practically. You walk all along the promised land of Canaan, you walk all the width of the land of Canaan. That is going to be the promised land that I promised you positionally, you are going to inherit it practically. It's going to be yours.

A very similar thing the Apostle Paul is saying to the believers at Ephesus and he's saying to you and I. You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in the Messiah Yeshua, Chapter 1. But it's not only to know it in your head and to have this hope that one day you're going to have it when you're going to die, you're going to leave this scene. He's saying to the brethren of the Ephesians and to you and I, "I want you to know it now. I want you to experience this in your life now."

I don't want you only to wait for the future. You have to enjoy it today, the promises that God had given unto you. Just go now to Joshua Chapter 1. Here is another man that he was promised to go into the promised land. Yehoshua, Joshua, the Hebrew word is Yehoshua. He's also now going to lead our people of old into the promised land now after they were 40 years in the wilderness. And to Joshua he said to him, "Look at this." He was ready to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.

Look what God is saying to Yehoshua, Joshua, in Chapter 1 and verse 3. "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have given unto you, as I said it unto Moses." Notice verse 4. "From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and unto the great sea towards the going down of the sun shall be your coasts." But you notice in verse 3 it says, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, this I have given unto you Yehoshua, Joshua."

Now he already promised Yehoshua to lead Israel into the promised land. He has given this land to the Hebrews, to our own forefathers many, many years ago. So what he is really saying is, "Joshua, go in, make it your own, possess it." By the way, the Ephesians of the Old Testament is Joshua. The Joshua of the New Testament is Ephesians. So every time when you study you want to know what applied, what is the Ephesians of the B'rit Hadashah, the New Testament? You read the book of Joshua, Yehoshua.

You want to know what is the Joshua of the New Testament? You read the book of Ephesians. Promises of the land, go inside and possess it. Promises of heaven and spiritual blessings for us in the church age, enjoy it, live it up, learn it, make it your own practically every day of your life. That's what he is saying to us as believers in Yeshua the Messiah. And so what he is saying, and I am back in Ephesians Chapter 3 and verse 18 and 19. Paul prayed for comprehension, for grasping and understanding, to know the depth of the Messiah and what he is.

And that is why he is saying that you may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the width, the length, the depth, and height, and to know the love of the Messiah that passes knowledge. Now in our case, it's not only width and length, in our case, in the believers' in this present-day case, also the depth and the height. And I think this is very beautiful. Just think with me for a moment the width of the person of the Messiah.

When Yeshua came down from heaven to this world, he open his hands and he says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The Messiah never limited himself to one person or one nation. He open his arm and he says, "Come unto me, all." The width of the love of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah is really encompassing every people, tongue and nation. John 3:16, for God so loved the world. That's the width of God's love towards mankind, that he gave his only begotten Son.

What about length? The length of the love of the Messiah is eternity, is eternal. From everlasting, Psalm 90:2, "From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." The length, how far God in eternity past Yeshua was in existence, and in eternity future he is ever existing. He is from everlasting to everlasting the Creator, the upholder, the sustainer, and the lover of the human race.

Think about the depth. The Lord Yeshua came from heaven to this world. He went step by step down to this world. Paul mentioned that in Philippians Chapter 2. "Though he was equal with God, he counted not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and became a servant." And even as a servant he went all the way down, even to the death of the cross. How deep could he ever go? No deeper than that.

Sometimes we sing "Deep, deep, the love of God have been proven on the tree," when Yeshua bore our sins in his body on the tree. There is no deeper love. That's why he say, "And to know the love of the Messiah, which passes knowledge." How can we fathom? Who ever love us like him? Who ever care for us like him? No one ever loved us like Yeshua the Messiah. Not our parents, not our families, not our friends, not the best of men. No one loved us like Yeshua the Messiah.

He went to the depth of judgment where all the waves and the billows of God's righteous indignation against sin fell upon him. Now you know what move our hearts when we think about what he have done for us? You know what's going to change us when we think of what he have done for me? Each one of us says, "He have done this for me." He went down to the depth of the cross. The verse that Paul mention in Philippians Chapter 2, and he says in verse 8, "Being found in a fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

You know the shame that was involved in dying on a cross. The Bible tell us cursed is the man that is hanging on a tree. What a shame he had to experience when he died for us on the cross. A shameful death he died. What a shame he had to experience because of all that which men have done to him, but this is nothing compared to what God have done for us. The depth of the Messiah's love brought him all the way down from heaven to this world. He became a man and obedience all the way he went to the cross.

What about the height, brothers and sisters? You know the love of God towards mankind have brought a sinner like us that deserve to be judged, brought us as high as into the immediate presence of God. You know what I remember a brother said it? "What I will never understand when I'm going to stand before the Lord, what in the world I'm doing here? How can he take a poor, vile sinner and bring him to his presence in heaven? Who can understand that?"

That's what we will never understand. What am I in the world doing in glory, in the presence of God? Me, that dishonored the Lord, that have rebelled against him, that constantly violated his word? What in the world am I doing in this place? It will be nothing but worshipping the Lord and saying, "Lord." We're going to get crowns, and we're going to cast it before his feet, and we're going to say, "You are worthy." It's not us, it's nothing that we have done.

You have brought us to the height of the love of God that brought us to heaven. Every one of us who is one day going to stand there in the presence of the Lord to sit around Yeshua. You read Revelation Chapter 5. The 24 elders represent the church, the assembly. They all bow before him and say to him, "Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy to receive the praises and the honor from us. Thou art worthy. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."

We are going to be prostrate at his feet, and we're going to tell him worthy is the Lamb for what he have done for us. Remember that and you see Paul is praying. He's saying, "Abba, Father, I pray for this, that they will appreciate what the Messiah have done, that they will with all the saints will know what is the breadth and the length and the depth and the height and to know the love of the Messiah which passes knowledge." Now there seems to be a contradiction here: to know the love of the Messiah and then it says it passes knowledge. Well, if you are going to know it, how is it passes knowledge?

As I mention in a previous meeting together, we will never exhaust the depth of the value of the person of Yeshua the Messiah. His person and his love passes knowledge, beyond us. Throughout eternity afresh we will be overwhelmed with the greatness of the person of Yeshua the Messiah. And yet today people use his name as a curse word. People reject him and despise him. And God said that at the name of Yeshua every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord, is Adon, to the glory of God the Father.

Well, three requests so far. Bear with me for another request here. The last request here is found in verse 19b. Paul prayed for the fullness of God to be the believers' provision, the fullness of God. Again, I mention to you and the Scripture mention that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places in the Mashiach Yeshua as we have it in Chapter 1. That is positionally. But now he is saying, "I want you to also know it practically," and that's why he is praying in verse 19b, "that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

You know what is the fullness of God? All the fullness of God is residing in the person of Yeshua the Messiah. I want you for a moment turn to Colossians Chapter 1 and verse 19. Paul is saying, "For it pleased the Father that in him," this is in Yeshua the Messiah, "should all fullness dwell." Look at Chapter 2 and verse 9 of Colossians. It says there, "For in him," in Yeshua the Messiah, in Christ Jesus, "dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

Now how can you grasp that? All the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in the body of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The Father, the Son, the Spirit, all the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in the person of Yeshua the Messiah. So Paul is saying to them, can you imagine what a high, high request that he requested from God? But could he ask anything lower? He couldn't ask anything lower because if God had blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the Messiah Yeshua in the heavenlies, well how could he ask God less than what he pray on behalf of the Ephesians? He couldn't ask less.

If God promised that much and gave that much, I'll ask for that much, that the believer will enjoy it today. Let me ask you a question, brothers and sisters. Can we say that Paul's requests have been answer in my life or your life? Can we say that we live up in the light of these prayer requests? I don't think so. But nevertheless, he prays for that. He asks for that because that's the truth in which we have been brought to in this present day dispensation of the ecclesia, the church age.

So now that he said that, he conclude verses 20 and 21. Paul praises God for all that he is and for all that he is able to do. There is really a doxology, the climax. Now Paul was like in a very spiritual state when he was praying for that. It's like the Apostle John on the island of Patmos when the Lord Yeshua gave him this revelation, he fell on his face. It's like Yeshayahu, Isaiah, in Chapter 6 when he saw the King in this vision in the temple in Jerusalem. He says, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King."

He was overwhelmed, and Paul is overwhelmed here. And that's why he close this prayer in this doxology. And you notice that Triune God somehow is being expressed here in these two verses. Verse 20, God is able to do all. God is able to do above all. God is able to do exceeding above all that we ask or think. Notice that verse 20. "Unto him," this is God the Father, Elohim Abba, "that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."

In other words, God is able. He is able to do above what we ask, above what we think. And you notice the way he build it up. He says, "Unto him that is able to do," and then he said, "unto him that's able to do exceeding," then he continue, "unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly," and then he continue, he says, "unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." It's like building it. He says God is able to do all things. God is able to do above all things.

God is able to do exceeding above all things. Sometimes in our life there are things that seems to be impossible. We just say, "Oh boy, I don't know how I'm going to handle this situation." And then the Lord comes in and in grace he assist the believer to carry through and get over the situation that we face. It's amazing the way God is able unto him that is able to do exceedingly above what we ask or think.

God is able to do and sometimes in our lives when things are hard and difficult, it's so important to lean on the Lord and to pray and to ask him to help because he's able. We sing that song "He is able" and God is able to do much more than what we ask or think. It says here in the next part of this verse 20, he does it according to the power that work within us. Well, what is that power? This is the Holy Spirit. All things are possible with God in the power of the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit of God. It is possible.

He is the God of the impossible, but it must be in the power of the Spirit of God, not in the power of the basar, of the flesh. Yeshua said in John 15, "Without me ye can do nothing." And the doxology is being closed in verse 21. "Unto him be all the glory in the Messiah Yeshua." And he close that chapter. "Unto him be glory in the church by Yeshua the Messiah." Again, the church here is not a building, it's not the brick and stone, it's not wood, it's not sticks. The church is believers, living stones. Every believer is part of the ecclesia called out, the church.

Unto him be glory among the believers, in the believers, by Yeshua the Messiah, or by the Messiah Christ Jesus, Mashiach Yeshua, throughout all ages, world without end. And he says, "Amen." You see how he closes the "may it be so." By him saying, "Amen," he is saying, "let it be so, God. That is my prayer for the people of God. Unto him be the glory by the Messiah Yeshua."

And I wanted you to see the Triune God. He praying to the Father now. "Unto him that is able," this is God the Father. And then "according to the power that worketh in us." The power is the Holy Spirit of God. You can see it that it is the working of the power of the Spirit of God. And then thirdly, you can see the Son. "Unto him," verse 21, "be glory in the assembly by the Mashiach Yeshua throughout all ages, world without end." And he close that session with the word amen.

Wonderful, brothers and sisters, to read such a passage. And that's all when it comes to doctrine. Ephesians Chapters 1, 2, and 3 deal with teaching, doctrine, theology. Now from Chapters 4, 5, and 6 he gonna go down to practical duty in the life of the believer. So he says, "If now you have the positional truth doctrinally, now how does that gonna work out in your own personal day-by-day life?" And so we will continue by the grace of God next time. May the Lord encourage us and help us to look to the Lord and continue on to follow after him.

Female Voiceover: You have been listening to Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levytam. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0. Or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM and Saturdays at 1:00 PM at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you. Shalom, shalom.